,vk.V 


LIBRARY 

ftltco  logical  fcinittavti, 

PRINCETON,  N.  J 

.1)2107 


No. 

No. 

No.  Book, 


r~f 


\ 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2019  with  funding  from 
Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


https://archive.org/details/comparativegeogr04ritt 


THE  COMPAEATIYE  GEOGRAPHY 


or 


PALESTINE  AND  THE  SINAITIO  PENINSULA. 


THE  COMPARATIVE  GEOGRAPHY 


P  A  L  E  S  T  I  N  E 

AND  THE 

SINAI  TIC  PENINSULA. 


BY  CARL  R I  T  T  E  R. 


Gmmslnlcb  iwb  jAbapleb  Id  t b c  Else  of  biblical  ^tubents 

BY 

WILLIAM  L.  GAGE. 


VOL.  IV. 


NEW  YORK: 

I).  APPLETON  AND  CO. 


MDCCCLXVI. 


ENTERED  ACCORDING  TO  ACT  OF  CONGRESS  IN  THE  YEAR  l866,  BY 


D.  APPLETON  &  CO., 

IN  THE  CLERK’S  OFFICE  OF  THE  DISTRICT  COURT  OF  THE  DISTRICT  OF  NEW  YORK. 


CONTENTS  OF  VOL.  IV. 


GEOGRAPHY  OE  PALESTINE. 


CHAPTER  IY. 

PAGE 

Jerusalem,  '  Ispow&A^,  I epoao'Av/^cc,  Hierosolyma,  the  City  of 
David,  the  City  of  Jehovah,  the  Holy  City,  el-Kods  of 
the  Mohammedans,  ......  1 


Discursion  1 .  The  Central  Situation  of  the  City  in  relation  to 
the  World — the  Authorities,  both  ancient  and 
modern,  which  relate  to  its  Topography, 

,,  2.  The  Situation  of  Jerusalem,  and  its  Division  into 

Hills  and  Valleys,  .... 

,,  3.  The  Circuit  of  the  present  Walls,  and  the  Localities 

just  outside  of  them,  .  .  .  . 

„  4.  The  Interior  of  the  City  of  Jerusalem  :  its  present 

Physical  Character,  and  Division  into  Streets : 
el-Wadi,  or  the  Street  of  Mills ;  the  Tyropceon  ; 
the  Situation  of  the  Baths  and  Wells  on  the 
West  Side  of  the  Haram.  The  Doubtful  Situa¬ 
tion  of  Akra ;  the  Antonia ;  the  Serai ;  the 
Temple  Enclosure  on  Mount  Moriah ;  and  the 
Mosque  of  Omar — Kubbet  es  Sukhrah, 


1 

18 

29 


98 


IV 


CONTENTS. 


Djscursion  5.  The  Christian  Quarter  of  Jerusalem,  with  Golgotha 
and  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre, 

,,  6.  The  Water  Reservoirs  and  Burial-places  in  and 

around  Jerusalem,  . 

,,  7.  The  Climate  and  the  Soil,  the  Plants  and  the 

Animals,  of  Jerusalem,  Judaea,  and  Palestine,  . 

„  8.  The  Inhabitants  of  Jerusalem — its  Population — 

the  Mohammedans — the  Oriental  and  Occidental 
Christians,  and  their  Subordinate  Sects — the 
Jews,  ...... 


NORTHERN  JUDiEA. 

CHAPTER  I. 

The  Region  immediately  adjoining  Jerusalem, 

Discursion  1.  Bethany  and  Abu  Dis,  on  the  East  of  the  City — ■ 
the  Wilderness  of  John  the  Baptist — Ain  Karim, 
the  Convent  of  St  John,  and  Deir  el  Masallabeh 
on  the  West,  ..... 

,,  2.  Places  directly  North  of  Jerusalem, 


CHAPTER  II. 

The  Mountain  Roads,  with  their  Passes  Westward  to  the 
Coast  of  the  Mediterranean  :  the  Plain  of  Sharon, 
and  the  Towns  of  Ramleii,  Lydda,  and  Kefer  Saba 
(Antipatris),  ...... 

Discursion  1.  The  Southern  Route,  by  way  of  Kulonieh,  Kuryet 
el-Enab,  and  Wadi  Aly, 

„  2.  The  Northern  Route  from  Lydda — the  Great  Cara¬ 

van  Road  by  way  of  the  Pass  of  Beth-horon 


PAGE 

122 

142 

181 

189 

213 

213 

210 

232 

233 


CONTENTS. 


V 


and  el-Jib  (Gibeon) — the  Branch  Road  by  way 
of  Wady  Suleiman,  . 

Discursion  3.  The  North-West  Route  from  Jerusalem  over  the 
Mountains  of  Ephraim  to  Kefr  Saba,  the  an¬ 
cient  Antipatris — from  Bireh  and  Jifna  to 
Tibneh,  on  Wadi  Belat — the  Burial-place  of 
Joshua — Past  Mejdel  Yaba,  Ras  el  Ain,  to  Kefr 
Saba,  ...... 


CHAPTER  III. 

The  Coast  Plain  from  the  Plain  of  Philistia  to  tiie  Carmel 
Ridge,  ....... 

Sephela  and  Sarom,  with  their  Cities  and  Main  Highways — Joppa 
or  Jaffa — Ramleli  and  the  Plain  of  Sharon — the  Eastern  or 
Mountain  Road  as  far  as  the  Plain  of  Esdraelon — the  West¬ 
ern  or  Coast  Road  to  Caesarea,  and  the  Promontory  of 
Carmel. 

Discursion  1.  Joppa  and  Ramleh,  .... 

,,  2.  The  Plain  of  Sharon,  and  the  Roads  which  tra¬ 

verse  it :  the  great  Damascus  Highway  over 
Mount  Carmel  to  the  Plain  of  Esdraelon, 

,,  3.  The  Eastern  or  Mountain  Road  through  the  Plain 

of  Sharon  :  the  great  Caravan  Road  from  Lydda 
over  the  Carmel  Range  to  the  Plain  of  Esdraelon, 

,,  4.  The  Western  or  Coast  Route  through  the  Plain 

of  Sharon :  Kaisariyeh,  the  ancient  Caesarea 
Palestine — Caesarea  Maritima,  originally  Stra- 
tonis  Turris,  subsequently  Caesarea  Stratonis,  . 

„  5.  Coast  Route  from  Caesarea  to  Carmel,  by  way  of 

Dandora  (Tantura,  Dor,  Dora),  and  Atlilit 
(Castellum  Peregrinorum), 


PAGE 

240 


243 


253 


253 


265 


268 


269 


277 


VI 


CONTENTS 1 


SAMARIA,  THE  CENTRAL  PART  OF  PALESTINE. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

PAGE 

Discursion  1.  The  Nablus  Road  from  Beitin  (Bethel)  by  way  of 
Jefna  (Gophna),  Sinjil,  Seilun  (Shiloh),  through 
the  Plain  of  Mukhna  to  Nablus  (Neapolis, 
Shechem),  .....  293 

,,  2.  The  City  of  Nabulus  or  Nablus,  the  ancient  Nea¬ 

polis,  the  Roman  Flavia  Neapolis — Shechem  at 
the  time  of  Jacob — Mabortha,  the  Pass — Gerizim 
and  Ebal,  the  Mountains  of  Blessing  and  of 
Cursing — the  Cuthites,  or  Samaritans — the  Well 
of  Jacob  and  the  Grave  of  Joseph,  .  .  302 

„  3.  The  Road  from  Nabulus  to  Sebaste,  the  ancient 

Shomron  of  the  Hebrews,  the  Samaria  of  the 
Greeks,  the  Sebaste  (Augusta)  of  the  Romans, 
and  the  Usbuste  of  the  Local  Population :  the 
Antiquities  of  the  Place,  .  .  .  320 

„  4.  Route  from  Sebaste  to  the  Southern  Entrance  into 

the  Plain  of  Esdraelon  at  Jenin,  Ta’anuk,  Megiddo, 
and  the  Northern  Border  of  Samaria,  .  .  327 


GALILEE,  THE  MOST  NORTHERN  DISTRICT 
OF  PALESTINE. 

CHAPTER  V. 

Introduction,  .......  332 

Galilee,  the  Land  of  the  Heathen  in  the  Canaanite  Epoch — the 
Extent  of  the  Territories  of  Zebulon,  Issachar,  Asher,  and 
Naphtali  at  the  time  of  Joshua — the  Later  Province  and 
Toparchy  of  Galilee — Upper  and  Lower  Galilee  at  the  period 
of  Josephus,  .......  332 


CONTENTS.  vii 

PAGE 

Discursion  1.  The  Southern  Portion  of  Galilee — the  Great  Plain 
Esdraelon,  or  the  Jezreel  of  the  Jews — the  Brook 
or  River  Kislion,  ....  343 

,,  2.  The  Mountain  Range  and  Promontory  of  Carmel,  352 

,,  3.  The  Bay  of  Acre  and  the  Ports  of  Haifa  (Hepha), 

and  Ako  (Akko,  St  Jean  d’Acre),  or  Ptolemais,  359 

,,  4.  Nazareth  and  its  Neighbourhood,  .  .  368 

,,  5.  The  Interior  of  Galilee — the  Upper  and  the  Lower 

Provinces,  the  Highlands  and  the  Lowlands,  .  378 


Tndex  of  Subjects,  ......  385 

Index  of  Texts,  ...  ....  401 


GEOGRAPHY  OF  PALESTINE. 

- — - 

CHAPTER  IV. 


JERUSALEM,  'Upovoxhiift,  lepoaoXvftet,  HIEROSOLYMA,  THE  CITY 
OF  DAVID,  THE  CITY  OF  JEHOVAH,  THE  HOLY  CITY, 
EL-KODS  OF  THE  MOHAMMEDANS. 


DISCURSION  I. 

THE  CENTRAL  SITUATION  OF  THE  CITY  IN  RELATION  TO  THE  WORLD — THE 
AUTHORITIES,  BOTH  ANCIENT  AND  MODERN,  WHICH  RELATE  TO  ITS 
TOPOGRAPHY. 


ERUSALEM,  built  in  the  heart  of  .Judaea,  away 
from  all  the  great  lines  of  communication  which 
cross  the  East ;  separated  and  protected  from  the 
powers  lying  eastward  of  it  by  the  Head  Sea,  from 
those  at  the  north  and  west  by  almost  inaccessible  footpaths, 
and  by  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  and  from  those  at  the  south 
by  the  broad  wastes  of  desert  which  stretch  away  to  Egypt ; 
situated  on  a  rocky  foundation,  destitute  of  a  rich  flora, 
almost  without  fields,  without  a  river,  almost  void  of  springs 
and  any  productive  soil — has  nevertheless  gained  a  place  among 
the  great  cities  of  the  globe,  which,  among  those  of  Europe, 
can  only  be  compared  to  Rome  and  Constantinople.  And  in 
many  respects  it  has  reached  a  place  even  higher  than  they, 
and  affected  the  world  more  powerfully;  for  Jerusalem,  as 
the  city  of  David,  as  par  eminence  the  temple  city,  has  not 
only  had  the  advantages  of  age,  riches,  splendour,  trade, 
luxury,  art,  and  conquest,  like  the  great  European  capitals  ; 
but  in  the  diffusion  of  its  central  idea  of  the  unity  of  a  God 
VOL.  IV.  A 


2 


PALESTINE. 


who  must  be  worshipped  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  in  opposition 
to  the  idolatries  of  the  rest  of  the  world,  it  has  before,  and 
more  eminently  since  the  birth  of  Christ,  carried  to  the  ends 
of  the  earth  a  licrht  which,  though  having  to  contend  with 
doubt,  falsehood,  and  superstition,  has  been  enabled  to  cleave 
through  them  all,  to  dissipate  the  clouds,  and  to  warm  and 
quicken  the  mind  of  man  through  the  whole  western  world  : 
to  affect  already  that  of  the  East,  and  to  afford  assurances 
that  it  will  do  so  more  and  more.  What  has  already  been 
said  regarding  the  central  position  of  the  land  of  Palestine, 
might  be  repeated  were  it  necessary,  and  emphasized  still 
more  strongly,  regarding  Jerusalem,  the  great  world-city, 
whose  geographical,  topographical,  and  historical  character 
we  are  about  to  study.  Whether  the  attractive  power  of 
Jerusalem, — that  force  which  compelled  Assyrians,  Baby¬ 
lonians,  Egyptians,  and  all  other  nations  to  come  up  to  it 
(Zech.  xiv.  16-18,  and  Acts  ii.  5), — should  be  ascribed,  as 
Michaelis  supposes,1  to  moral  grounds,  or  whether  it  was  its 
topographical  situation,  it  is  alike  worthy  of  study,  in  all  lights 
and  in  all  its  features* 

Half  a  century  ago,  it  would  have  been  impossible  to 
have  studied  the  topography  of  Jerusalem  at  all  in  detail,  for 
no  observers  had  then  given  it  their  careful  attention  ;  and 
traditions,  legends,  and  hypotheses  had  run  wild  over  the 
whole  of  the  city.  During  late  years,  however,  much  has 
been  done  by  tracing  the  ancient  outlines  ;  by  studying  the 
various  styles  of  architecture ;  by  examining  the  historical 
memorials,  and  discriminating  between  what  is  authentic  and 
what  is  the  mere  result  of  middle-age  legends,  and  the  fables 
invented  for  the  ears  of  pilgrims  ;  and  by  carefully  collating 
those  passages  of  the  Bible  and  Josephus  which  relate  to 
Jerusalem, — the  main  authorities,  it  may  be  remarked.  To 
these  sources  may  be  added  the  classics,  the  fathers  of  the 
church,  the  historians,  Mohammedan  authors,  and  the  litera¬ 
ture  created  by  eastern  travel.  Doubtless,  the  ascertaining  of 
many  facts,  and  the  placing  of  them  beyond  doubt,  occasion 
much  difficulty  ;  for  the  old  source  of  perplexity,  the  want  of 
1  Gesenius,  Comment,  zu  Isaicis  (cliap.  vii.  1),  Pt.  i.  p.  266. 


NAMES  OF  JERUSALEM. 


materials,  is  compensated  by  the  great  number  of  discoveries, 
and  tlie  divergencies  of  opinion  about  them.  So  great  have 
been  the  changes  by  transformation,  and  by  building  new 
structures  on  the  ruins  of  the  old  for  more  than  three 
thousand  years,  that  now  it  becomes  very  difficult  to  come  to 
certain  results.  The  city  has  outlived  a  full  dozen  destroyings 
and  rebuildings ;  and  it  is  literally  true  that  city  lies  upon 
city,  ruins  above  ruins,  and  such  a  labyrinth  created,  that  it 
will  be  the  labour  of  years  to  clear  up  all  difficulties  and 
arrive  at  the  simple  truth.  The  masses  of  rubbish  are  gene¬ 
rally  thirty  or  forty  feet  in  depth  before  we  reach  the  rock, 
or  the  primitive  soil  where  building  commenced  ;  and  the 
order  of  the  Turkish  Government,  forbidding  all  excavation, 
and  even  all  entrance  into  or  approach  to  those  localities  which 
are  regarded  as  especially  holy,  places  the  greatest  difficulties 
in  the  way  of  investigation,  even  on  the  part  of  those- who 
have  spent  months  and  years  in  Jerusalem,  to  say  nothing  of 
those  who  merely  make  hasty  visits  thither.  And  the  places 
which  are  open  to  Christians  are  so  overloaded  with  traditions 
and  legends  coined  by  the  Armenians,  Latins,  and  Greeks, 
before  and  after  the  period  of  the  Crusades,  that  it  is  often 
extremely  difficult  to  arrive  at  the  primitive  name  where  an 
object  is  called  by  several  designations,  to  know  whether  the 
Arabic  word  is  formed  from  a  Hebrew  or  a  Syrian  root,  and 
whether  a  later  term  has  or  has  not  driven  out  an  older  one, 
or  whether  it  has  merely  changed  its  form.  In  many  of  the 
most  central  parts  of  the  city,  where  the  Mohammedans  mainly 
live,  the  streets  and  squares  have  remained  nameless  up  to  the 
most  recent  times. 

The  difficulties  with  which  we  have  to  contend  begin  with 
the  very  oldest  names  of  the  place, — Salem,  Jerusalem,  Hiero- 
solyma,  TElia  Capitolina,  el-Kods  or  Cadytis, — and  are  not 
less  numerous  or  less  formidable  when  we  come  to  the  desig¬ 
nations  of  the  special  parts,  such  as  Zion,  Moriah,  Akra, 
Bezetha,  and  their  various  subdivisions.  It  is  necessary,  there¬ 
fore,  at  the  outset,  to  state  what  are  the  literary  authorities 
with  which  we  have  to  deal  in  order  to  promote  an  increase  of 
our  knowledge. 


4 


PALESTINE. 


All  the  old  accounts  of  the  geographical  character  of  the 
city  subsequent  to  the  times  of  David  and  Solomon,  1000  B.C., 
are  instructive  and  valuable  in  their  slightest  details  ;  but  up  to 
the  second  conquest  of  the  city  and  its  first  destruction,  effected 
at  the  hands  of  Nebuchadnezzar  the  king  of  Babylon,  b.c.  588, 
we  have  not  information  sufficient  to  allow  us  to  gain  any 
clear  conception  of  the  appearance  of  the  place.  Up  to  that 
date  the  historical  books  of  the  Kings,  and  those  of  the  prophets, 
particularly  Isaiah  and  Jeremiah  (the  Lamentations  of  the 
latter  more  especially),  are  the  only  authorities  which  give  us 
any  idea  of  the  nature  of  the  primitive  Jerusalem.  The  return 
of  the  people  from  their  seventy  years’  captivity  in  Babylonia, 
and  the  permission  granted  by  king  Cyrus  to  build  the  temple 
again  (536  b.c.),  although  the  actual  building  took  place  after 
Cyrus’  death  and  under  Darius  Hystaspes  (515  b.c.),  bring 
us  to  a  new  epoch  in  the  geography  of  J erusalem, — an  epoch 
characterized,  as  we  learn  from  the  books  of  Ezra  and  Nelie- 
miah,  by  the  rebuilding  of  the  walls  of  the  city,  the  temple, 
and  the  royal  palace,  on  the  ruins  of  those  which  had  been 
destroyed.  The  effort  was  made  to  follow  in  the  re-erection 
the  old  wall  lines  as  closely  as  possible,  and  to  put  the  new 
edifices  on  the  site  of  the  old ;  and  we  are  unable,  therefore, 
to  follow  the  account  given  by  Nehemiah,  from  the  want  of 
more  positive  knowledge  regarding  the  old  city,  whose  ruined 
battlements  were  replaced  by  the  new  ones  which  he  describes. 

The  accounts  given  by  Nehemiah  and  Ezra  would  indeed 
be  unintellimble,  were  it  not  for  the  instructive  though  brief 
sketch  which  Josephus  gives  us  of  the  topography  of  Jeru¬ 
salem,  and  the  very  full  narrative  which  he  has  transmitted 
to  us  of  the  siege  and  capture  of  the  city  by  Titus  in  a.d. 
70;  yet  his  statements  are  mainly  general  in  their  character, 
and  not  given  with  a  view  to  acquaint  his  readers  with  geo¬ 
graphical  details,  but  with  the  incidents  which  transpired 
under  his  eye.  On  this  account,  many  places  which  he  men¬ 
tions  are  alluded  to  in  such  a  casual  and  transitory  way,  and 
with  so  little  reference  to  an  implied  ignorance  of  the  topo¬ 
graphy  on  the  part  of  his  readers,  that  we  are  almost  entirely 
unable  to  make  use  of  many  of  his  references  to  names  and 


THE  EARLIEST  A  UTHORITIES. 


5 


places.  Add  to  this  difficulty  still  another,  namely,  that  the 
process  of  rebuilding  had  gone  on  to  such  an  extent  under 
the  Syrians,  the  Maccabees,  and  the  Herods,  as  to  obliterate 
or  change  materially  the  form  of  many  of  the  old  names. 
And  even  with  this  difficulty  modified  as  it  has  been,  especially 
by  the  labours  of  Robinson,  yet  another  appears,  viz.  that 
Josephus,  writing  as  he  did  in  Rome,  and  after  the  lapse  of 
considerable  time,  and  obliged  as  he  was  to  depend  mainly 
upon  his  memory,1  was  led  into  so  many  inaccuracies  and 
so  many  exaggerations,  as  to  render  it  in  many  places  quite 
impossible  for  us  to  make  use  of  his  statements  respecting 
distance. 

The  historical  books  of  the  New  Testament,  particularly 
the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  throw  but  little  light  upon  the  loca¬ 
lities  mentioned  in  the  Bible ;  the  profane  writers,  suck  as 
Tacitus,  draw  almost  all  their  topographical  knowledge  from 
Josephus.  The  accounts  prepared  still  later — such  as  those 
relating  to  the  building  of  AGlia  Capitolina  by  the  Emperor 
Hadrian,  a.d.  126;  the  erecting  of  church  edifices  at  Jeru¬ 
salem  by  the  Empress  Helena  and  the  Emperor  Justinian ; 
those  dating  from  the  time  of  the  Crusades,  and  the  estab¬ 
lishment  of  the  Christian  kings  there;  the  descriptions  of  the 
city  as  it  was  under  its  Mohammedan,  Arab,  and  Turkish  con¬ 
querors — are  still  more  meagre  and  fragmentary  than  those 
which  date  from  even  earlier  times,  and  in  them  error  is  piled 
upon  error,  through  a  want  of  knowledge,  or  the  power  to  sift 
out  truth,  or  from  a  naturally  superstitious  nature,  or  from 
a  proneness  to  form  hypotheses,  or  from  native  superficiality. 
It  is  no  wonder  that  it  has  been  so  difficult  to  follow  the  vein 
of  truth  under  the  heaps  of  rubbish  which  have  accumulated, 
and  after  the  most  painstaking  labour,  to  attain  at  last  to  re¬ 
sults  which  rest  upon  a  secure  foundation,  and  which  can  be 
appropriated  without  hesitation  in  the  interests  of  science. 

It  will  be  necessary  to  give  here  a  brief  summary  of  the 
most  recent  works  on  the  topography  of  Jerusalem  wdiich  we 
shall  have  occasion  to  use  in  connection  with  those  already 
cited. 

1  Iiobinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  279,  280 ;  comp.  Krafft,  pp.  2,  24,  52. 


6 


PALESTINE. 


Original  Authorities  relating  to  the  Topography  of 

Jerusalem. 

I.  The  Sources  preceding  the  Publication  of 
Robinson  and  Eli  Smith’s  Work  in  1838. 

In  respect  to  the  earlier  period,  almost  the  only  complete 
summary  of  them  is  that  contained  in  a  lecture  delivered  at 
Berlin  by  my  honoured  friend,  Dr  E.  Gf.  Schultz,1  Prussian 
Consul  at  Jerusalem.  Little  more  can  be  done  than  to 
rehearse  what  he  has  given  there,  adding  to  it  what  he  has 
communicated  to  me  in  manuscript  at  various  times.  His 
little  work  on  this  subject  contains,  of  course,  much  that  had 
been  stated  before;  but  it  also  contains  no  inconsiderable 
amount  of  matter  never  before  collected  or  published.  It 
was  hoped  that  he  would  be  able  to  gather  up  the  results  of 
his  studies,  and  present  them  to  the  world  in  a  more  com¬ 
plete  form  than  he  has  yet  been  able  to  do  ;  but  a  long  suc¬ 
cession  of  sickness  has  hitherto  entirely  prevented  him  from 
accomplishing  this  task. 

1.  The  list  of  authorities  begins  with  the  Old  Testament, 
to  which  we  must  add  Josephus’  twenty  books  relating  to 
Jewish  antiquities,  and  the  collections  of  translations  and 
paraphrases  found  in  the  old  polyglotts.  These,  as  well  as  the 
old  commentaries,  are  to  be  found  indicated  in  the  various 
introductions  to  the  Old  Testament.2 

2.  The  books  of  the  New  Testament  contain  little  which 
throws  light  upon  the  geography  of  the  Holy  Land;  and  that 
little  is  made  the  more  unavailable,  from  the  fact  that  the 
spiritual  import  of  those  waitings  is  such  as  to  subordinate  all 
local  peculiarities,  and  keep  them  in  the  background. 

3.  Josephus’  History  of  the  Jewish  War  is  the  richest 
treasure  of  those  facts  which  we  consult  the  pages  of  the  New 
Testament  in  vain  to  find :  it  brings  us  down  a  little  on  this 
side  of  the  destruction  of  the  city  by  Titus. 

4.  The  later  Jewish  literature  relating  to  Jerusalem  has 
been  wrought  out  from  the  Talmudists  in  the  most  thorough 

1  Schultz,  Jerusalem ,  a  lecture,  with  map  by  Kiepert. 

2  De  Wette,  Lehrb.  d.  lielr.  judisch.  Archdologie ,  pp.  5-79. 


EARLY  AUTHORITIES. 


7 


and  available  manner  by  Liglitfoot  in  Opp.  om.  ed.  Roterodam. 
1686,  fob  T.  ii.,  in  Centuria  Chorographica  Talmudica,  ad  S. 
Matthsenm,  c.  xx.-xli.  fob  185-202. 

5.  From  the  Christian  epoch,  lasting  till  the  capture  of 
Jerusalem  by  the  Arabs,  Eusebius  and  Jerome  have  left  us 
an  inexhaustible  treasury  of  facts  relating  not  alone  to  the 
general,  but  to  the  special,  geography  of  the  Holy  Land. 
The  works  of  some  Byzantine  ecclesiastical  historians  may 
be  classed  in  this  group. 

6.  A  new  cycle  of  Christian  as  well  as  of  Mohammedan 
writers  begins  with  the  time  of  the  Crusades :  an  elaborate 
recapitulation  of  them  may  be  found  in  Wilken’s  classic  history 
of  those  wars. 

7.  The  very  valuable  Codice  Diplomatico  del  Sacro  Militare 
Ordine  San  Giovanni  Gerosolimitano ,  oggi  di  Malta ,  ed.  Sebas- 
tiano  Pauli ,  della  Congregazione  della  Madre  di  Dio ,  Lucca 
1773,  fob  2.  Tom.,  contains  very  rich  original  documents 
relating  to  the  topography  of  Jerusalem  as  well  as  of  all 
Palestine. 

Schultz,  in  page  47  of  his  published  work,  refers  also  to 
some  important  documents  relating  to  the  German  Order  in 
Palestine,  now  to  be  found  in  the  Konigsberg  archives.  The 
Cartulario  del  Santo  Sepulcro,  to  be  seen  in  C.  Beugnot, 
Assises  de  Jerusalem ,  Paris  1842,  2  vols.,  contains  a  hitherto 
unknown  description  of  the  city,  written  in  the  thirteenth  cen¬ 
tury.  Schultz  makes  an  extract  in  his  appendices,  pp.  107-120. 
Eugene  de  Rosiere,  Cartulaire  de  T Eglise  du  Saint  Sepulchre 
de  Jerusalem ,  publie  d'apres  les  Manuscrits  du  Vatican ,  Paris 
1849,  contains  in  its  text  a  hundred  and  eighty-five  documents 
relating  to  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  The  Liber  Albus  and  Liber 
Pactorum,  a  collection  of  Venetian  state  papers,  contain  much 
relating  to  Jerusalem  and  Palestine:  and  the  archives  of 
Vienna,  which  were  consulted  slightly  by  Wilken  in  the 
preparation  of  his  History  of  the  Crusades ,  have  been  largely 
drawn  upon  by  Schultz  in  collecting  his  materials. 

8.  The  Arabian  geographers  Isthakri,  Edrisi,  Abulfeda, 
and  Ebn  Batuta,  made  accessible  to  us  by  Muller,  Mordt- 
mann,  Jaubert,  Mack  Guckin  de  Slame,  Eeinaud,  Lee,  aud 


8 


PALESTINE . 


others ;  the  histories  of  Sultan  Saladin  by  Bahaeddin,  and 
those  of  the  Egyptian  sultans  written  by  Macrizi,  and  edited 
by  Quatremere ;  Michaud’s  History  ofi  the  Crusades,  with 
Remain!  s  valuable  additions,  throw  valuable  additional  light 
on  the  topography  of  Jerusalem.  To  these  authorities  may 
be  added  the  Cadi  Mejr  ed  Din,  whose  valuable  Arabian 
history,  written  in  1495,  has  been  drawn  upon  by  von 
Hammer  in  the  Mines  di  Orient,  T.  ii.  p.  83,  v.  p.  161.1 

9.  The  comprehensive  literature  of  travel,  which  does  not 
pass  over  Jerusalem,  is  well  summed  up  in  Robinson’s  well- 
known  summary,  with  which  my  own,  contained  elsewhere, 
may  be  compared  by  the  reader.  It  is  unnecessary  to  add, 
that  the  admirable  volumes  of  Robinson,  as  well  as  other 
works  of  recognised  value,  such  as  those  of  Reland,  Crome, 
von  Raumer,  and  Winer,  and  which  have  often  been  quoted 
in  my  descriptions  of  the  country  taken  as  a  whole,  do  not 
overlook  the  topography  of  the  capital  ;  and  although  the 
progress  of  discovery  has  been  very  rapid  of  late  in  Jeru¬ 
salem,  we  are  not  to  overlook  the  men  who  have  contributed 
to  this  result,  and  to  whom  we  owe  so  much.  To  accept, 
with  a  mere  courteous  expression  of  thanks,  works  which  may 
be  now  in  a  measure  superseded  by  more  recent  ones,  and  to 
forget  our  indebtedness  to  the  pioneers  in  discovery,  indicates 
great  vanity,  and  a  lack  of  true  nobleness  of  mind  in  those 
who  come  after ;  who,  though  their  results  may  be  mare 
recent,  yet  could  never  have  gained  them  without  the  aid 
afforded  by  their  predecessors,  and  who  perhaps,  after  all, 
have  not  displayed  such  talents  for  investigation,  or  been 
rewarded  by  such  happy  and  unlooked-for  discoveries,  as  some 
pioneers  in  the  same  path  have  done. 

II.  The  Latest  Authorities  relating  to  the 
Topography  of  Jerusalem  since  Robinson  and  Smith. 

Amoiw  the  learned  and  acute  authors  who  have  written 

O 

recently  upon  Jerusalem,  there  are  notable  instances  of  great 
modesty,  and  also  of  an  envious  spirit  of  detraction  from  the 

1  The  translation,  together  with  another  Arabic  ms.,  may  be  compared 
in  Williams’  Holy  City ,  vol.  i.  app.  iii.  pp.  143-1G4. 


THE  RECENT  A  UTHORITIES. 


9 


merits  of  earlier  writers.  An  example  of  the  latter  may  he 
found  in  the  voluminous  work  of  G.  Williams,  formerly 
chaplain  to  the  English  Bishop  of  Jerusalem,  and  a  man 
whose  position  and  calling  ought  to  have  been  a  sufficient 
guarantee  that  his  hook  would  not  he  characterized  hy  the 
faults  which  mar  it.  The  most  offensive  passages  are  those 
in  which  he  attacks  the  American  Robinson ;  an  assault 
which  the  latter  took  very  quietly,  and  without  the  loss  of 
temper.  In  the  second  edition  of  his  work  the  English 
chaplain  softened  his  tone,  and  tried  to  hush  up  the  affair, 
letting  it  go  no  further ;  but  he  broke  out  in  equally  unjust 
invective  against  a  younger  explorer,  and  one  who  had  had 
no  connection  whatever  with  him  —  Dr  Krafft,  whom  he 
accused  of  plagiarism.  It  was  entirely  an  unjust  charge,  for 
the  German  gave  Williams  full  credit  for  all  that  he  had 
really  discovered  ;  and  showed  his  own  acuteness,  thorough¬ 
ness,  and  a  scholarship  even  superior,  it  may  be,  to  Williams, 
while  correcting  the  Englishman’s  mistakes.  I  am  rejoiced 
to  say  that  my  own  friends,  Robinson,  Krafft,  and  Schultz, 
have  always  manifested  a  different  spirit;  and  even  Williams 
must  consider  the  latter  a  model  in  the  discharge  of  literary 
justice.  And  although  I  may  have  occasion,  in  the  course  of 
the  following  pages,  to  differ  widely  from  all  these  gentlemen, 
and  follow  my  own  convictions,  yet  I  cannot  forbear  alluding 
to  the  spirit  in  which  they  have  laboured,  which  colours  all 
their  controversial  writings. 

Dr  Robinson’s  classic  work 1  has  ushered  in  a  new  epoch 
not  only  for  the  study  of  the  whole  land  of  Palestine,  but  for 
that  of  the  geography  and  history  of  Jerusalem  ;  and  even 
now  the  most  salutary  influences  have  begun  to  flow  from 
the  investigations  which  he  made.  lie  has  infused  fresh 
youth  into  a  theme  of  the  weightiest  import  not  only  for  all 
ecclesiastical  life,  but  interesting  in  its  relation  to  all  the 
sciences  ;  he  has  given  a  new  impetus  to  the  study  of  the 
Holy  Land, — an  impetus  which  has  been  felt  alike  on  both 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  229-250,  embracing  the  topo¬ 
graphy;  250-364,  the  history;  364-418,  the  other  features;  418-431, 
plans,  etc.  See  also  Later  Bib.  Research. 


10 


PALESTINE. 


sides  of  the  Atlantic,  and  has  called  many  strong  and  hold 
spirits  into  the  same  field.  Almost  the  only  scholarly  work 
which  preceded  Robinson’s  was  that  of  Dr  E.  D.  Clarke,1 
1813,  in  which  he  took  Pococke2  as  a  basis,  and  gave,  in 
addition,  the  results  of  his  own  carefully  conducted  investiga¬ 
tions.  Naturally,  however,  he  fell  into  numerous  errors ; 
and  it  was  only  in  1838  that  Dr  Robinson,  leaving  far  behind 
him  the  often  instinctive  and  sometimes  spirited  efforts  made 
by  tourists  and  dilettanti ,  gave  his  own  mind  to  the  task  of 
solving  the  mysteries  which  had  hitherto  perplexed  travellers, 
clearing  away  the  rubbish  which  had  been  accumulating  for 
thousands  of  years,  and  setting  the  topography  of  Jerusalem 
in  a  clear  light.  The  magnitude  of  this  undertaking  may  be 
best  seen  after  noticing  how  little  so  sagacious  and  faithful  a 
traveller  as  Niebuhr3  was  able  to  accomplish  when  there  in 
1766.  Although  he  was  fully  impressed  with  the  importance 
of  studying  Jerusalem  with  great  care  ;  although  he  recog¬ 
nised  that  it  is  a  city  just  as  interesting  to  the  Christian  as  to 
the  Jew,  and  to  both  the  most  important  of  all  the  cities  of 
the  world  ;  yet  he  did  not  venture — such  was  the  tyranny  of 
the  monks  and  Turks  at  that  time — to  go  near  enough  to  the 
immense  stones  on  the  southern  slope  of  the  external  temple 
area  to  gain  a  full  view  of  them.4 

Even  quite  recently,  when  the  eminent  geometrician  Dr 
Westphal,5  and  also  Dr  Parthey  (1823),  following  the  efforts 
of  Sieber6  (1818),  tried  to  improve  the  existing  maps  of 
Jerusalem,  by  taking  measurements  of  the  walls,  in  order 
to  compare  their  results  with  those  of  Josephus,  they  were 
threatened  with  stones  and  bullets  from  the  roofs  of  adjoining 
houses,  and  they  were  compelled  to  relinquish  their  under- 

1  E.  D.  Clarke,  Travels  in  various  Countries  of  Europe ,  Asia,  and 
A frica,  vol.  iv.  pp.  288-394. 

2  Pococke,  Travels ,  Ger.  eel.  Pt.  ii.  pp.  12-42. 

3  Niebuhr,  Reisen  durch  Syria  und  Paldstina ,  pp.  45-65,  with  Plates 
iv.  and  v. 

4  Ibid.  p.  141. 

6  Author  of  the  excellent  Agri  Romani  Tabula  cum  veterum  viarum 
designatione  accuratissima ,  Romse,  L.  H.  Westphal. 

6  F.  W.  Sieber,  Karte  von  Jerusalem,  etc. 


PLANS  AND  MAPS. 


11 


taking,  not  without  gaining  enough  new  material,  however, 
to  warrant  them  in  publishing  a  map  of  the  city.1  It  was 
only  when  the  iron  sceptre  of  Ibrahim  Pasha  was  extended 
over  Syria,  followed  by  his  subjection  of  Turks  and  Mos¬ 
lems,  and  his  generous  treatment  of  Jews  and  Christians,  that 
the  fanatic  spirit  of  the  people  so  far  yielded  as  to  allow 
civilisation  to  make  progress  in  Palestine,  to  open  Hebron 
and  Jerusalem  to  strangers  as  never  before,  and  to  allow  that 
thorough  course  of  investigation  which  has  been  undertaken 
and  carried  on  with  such  success  by  von  Schubert,  Robinson, 
Russegger,  Wilson,  Gadow,  Krafft,  Tischendorf,  Tobler,  and 
others,  during  their  long  sojourn  in  the  Holy  Land.  Nor 
have  these  been  all.  The  American  missionaries  have  done 
much,  the  consuls  resident  in  Jerusalem,  the  members  of  the 
newly  founded  evangelical  bishopric  there,  and  many  others 
who  have  enjoyed  the  good  fortune  of  being  able  to  prosecute 
their  inquiries  for  any  considerable  length  of  time. 

Plans  and  Maps  of  the  City. 

The  immediate  advantage  received  from  this  improve¬ 
ment  in  the  facilities  for  surveying  Jerusalem,  was  the  revision 
of  the  map  of  the  city2  effected  by  the  architect  Catbenvood, 
who,  in  company  with  his  friends  Bonomi  and  Arundale, 
enjoyed  particularly  favourable  opportunities  for  studying 
the  city  from  the  roof  of  the  house  belonging  to  the  gover¬ 
nor  of  Jerusalem.  Here  they  had  a  fine  panoramic  view  of 
the  city,  and  were  able  not  only  to  take  very  perfect  observa¬ 
tions,  but  they  were  permitted  also  to  enter  the  temple  area, 
to  visit  all  the  buildings,  to  use  a  camera  lucida  in  copying 
their  architectural  features,  and  even  to  examine  the  founda¬ 
tions  on  which  they  stand.3  A  short  time  before  their  visit, 
the  curiosity  which  led  some  European  travellers  to  enter 
the  sacred  enclosure  of  the  mosque  had  put  them  in  peril  of 

1  See  Jerusalem  und  seine  ndchsten  Umqebunqen,  von  Westphal,  vol.  i. 
pp.  385-390. 

2  Plan  of  Jerusalem ,  by  J.  Catbenvood. 

3  Bartlett’s  Walks  about  the  City  and  Environs  of  Jerusalem ,  pp. 

148-168. 


12 


PALESTINE. 


death  at  the  hands  of  the  enraged  Mohammedans  ;  and  yet 
Oatherwood  was  allowed  to  spend  six  weeks  of  undisturbed 
quiet  in  studying  the  temple  on  every  side,  and  in  making 
his  measurements. 

The  progress  which  was  the  result  of  these  labours,  was 
seen  not  merely  in  the  map  of  the  mountain  on  which  the 
temple  stood,  and  its  immediate  neighbourhood,  and  in  that  of 
the  interior  of  the  city,  but  in  many  other  details.  Never¬ 
theless,  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  northern  and  western  wall 
of  the  city,  it  falls  far  behind  Westphal’s  map  in  exactness, 
and  exhibits  the  inequalities  of  surface  and  the  environs  of 
the  city  in  a  very  imperfect  manner :  it  was,  however,  an 
improvement  upon  the  work  of  Sieber.1  Yet,  as  data  were 
then  wanting,  the  measurements  of  Robinson  and  Smith 
not  sufficiently  well  covering  the  ground  to  allow  the  con¬ 
struction  of  a  more  perfect  map,  it  remained  the  basis  of 
those  which  followed,  and  indeed  of  Kiepert’s,  which  accom¬ 
panies  the  works  of  Robinson  and  Schultz,2  although  with 
many  corrections.  Regarding  these,  Kiepert  has  spoken 
fully  in  the  memoir  from  his  own  hand,  accompanying  the 
maps.  The  corrections  consisted  mainly  in  the  far  clearer 
designation  of  the  inequalities  of  surface  in  the  city,  the 
insertion  of  several  details  in  the  immediate  neighbour¬ 
hood,  and  of  a  very  valuable  profile  view  of  Jerusalem, 
from  W.S.W.  to  e.n.e.,  from  the  upper  valley  of  Hinnom 
to  the  highest  part  of  the  Mount  of  Olives.3  The  first  of 
Kiepert’s  plans  was  characterized  by  a  rejection  of  many  of 
the  old  and  wholly  useless  and  unfounded  legendary  names, 
but  the  second  contained  those  of  many  antiquarian  monu¬ 
ments  of  interest  and  value.  Dr  Ivrafft’s  map,4  which  ap¬ 
peared  in  the  following  year,  incorporated  all  of  these ;  but 

1  Plan  von  Jerusalem ,  entworfen  nach  Sieber  und  Catherwood ,  etc.,  von 
Kiepert. 

2  Plan  von  Jerusalem ,  nach  den  Untersuchungen  von  Dr  E.  G.  Schultz, 
geg.  von  Kiepert. 

3  H.  Kiepert,  Memoir  zu  den  Carten,  ivelche  Robinson's  Paldstina 
begleiten. 

4  Plan  von  Jerusalem  nach  den  Untersuchungen  von  Krafft,  mit  Benut- 
zung  der  Plane  von  Robinson  und  Schultz. 


MAPS  AND  PLANS. 


13 


it  contained,  besides,  the  results  of  bis  own  carefully  conducted 
researches,  and  was  accompanied  by  a  memoir,  which  made 
it  perfectly  intelligible.  This  was  followed  by  Dr  T.  Tobler’s 
Sketch  of  Jerusalem,1  whose  title  indicates  the  special  place 
which  the  map  was  intended  to  fill,  namely,  to  serve  as  a 
practical  guide  to  the  interior  of  the  city,  and  to  give  the 
correct  names  of  streets,  most  of  which  had  been  spelt  in 
very  different  ways,  and  had  made  the  topography  of  the 
city  almost  unintelligible. 

The  small  scale  on  which  most  of  these  maps  were  exe¬ 
cuted,  the  difficulties  which  lay  in  the  way  of  access  to  many 
parts  of  the  city,  and  the  amount  of  rubbish  and  of  later 
buildings  which  have  been  allowed  to  collect,  leave  many 
interesting  historical  places  unverified.  These  difficulties 
have  been  increased  by  the  originally  hilly  character  of  the 
city,  which  naturally  led  to  the  erection  of  the  oldest  build¬ 
ings  in  the  valley,  from  which  they  gradually  receded  as  the 
capital  expanded.  These  facts  made  it  necessary  to  proceed 
with  the  greatest  care  in  the  task  of  taking  measurements  and 
of  making  drawings.  The  first  one  who  entered  upon  this 
work  with  critical  minuteness  was  J.  IT.  Gadow,  who  spent  nine 
months  in  Jerusalem  in  1847  and  1848,  engaged  in  this  under¬ 
taking.  The  result  was  his  map,  prepared  with  the  most 
conscientious  care,  and  containing  exact  measurements  of  all 
the  principal  objects — the  walls  of  the  city,  the  Haram,  and 
the  most  important  buildings.  This  map  was  published  in  a 
reduced  form  by  Gadow’s  friend  and  companion  in  travel, 
Dr  Wolff,2  and  the  original  manuscript  was  given  to  the 
German  Oriental  Society.  We  are  therefore  able  to  use3  the 
whole  of  the  results  which  he  gained.  The  map  of  Gadow 
deviates  in  some  unimportant  respects  from  the  earlier  ones, 
especially  in  the  portrayal  of  the  northern  and  western 
parts  of  the  walls  ;  but  it  is  completely  justified  in  this  by 

1  Dr  T.  Toiler,  Grundriss  von  Jerusalem. 

2  Dr  Ph.  Wolff,  Reise  in  das  Gelobte  Land. 

3  H.  Gadow,  Mittheilungen  iiber  die  gegenwartigen  Terrainverhaltnissen 
in  und  um  Jerusalem ,  in  Z.  d.  Dcutsch.  Morgen.  Ges.  vol.  ii.  pp.  35—45, 
384. 


14 


PALESTINE. 


the  very  accurate  map  published  by  the  English  Govern¬ 
ment,  and  prepared  by  the  engineers,  Aldrich  and  Symonds.1 
This  work,  which  is  the  result  of  a  careful  mathematical 
survey,  must  be  the  basis  of  all  future  topographical  delinea¬ 
tions  of  the  city.  It  is  on  a  scale  of  four  hundred  English  feet 
to  a  mile.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  masterly  model  of 
Jerusalem,  executed  in  relief,  in  a  faithful  and  elegant  manner, 
by  Edwin  Smith  of  Sheffield,2  and  published  in  1846,  was  not 
based  upon  the  survey  of  Aldrich  and  Symonds ;  yet  it  should 
be  remarked  that  the  outlines  of  the  city,  as  Mr  Blackburn,  the 
inventor,  has  portrayed  them,  are  in  much  closer  agreement 
with  Gaclow’s  map  than  with  Catherwood’s,  and  are  singularly 
coincident  with  those  laid  down  in  the  royal  survey. 

Although  very  great  progress  has  been  made  in  locating 
the  objects  of  historical  interest  in  Jerusalem,  yet  it  will 
not  seem  strange  that  our  course  has  been  so  slow  in  a  city 
which  has  suffered  seventeen  conquests,  many  of  which  have 
been  accompanied  by  the  destruction  of  buildings,  and  the 
subsequent  re-erection  of  others  in  their  place.  These  de- 
stroyings  and  rebuildings  have  been  going  on  for  almost  3000 
years,  and  have  been  effected  by  the  most  different  people. 
The  complaint  which  Kichardson  makes  is  therefore  not 
without  foundation,  that  it  is  a  Tantalus-like  task  to  try  to 
discover  the  site  of  building's  whose  names  have  come  down 

O 

to  us,  or  to  find  the  scene  of  noted  deeds.  And  Scholtz  justly 
remarks,  that  in  the  mass  of  ruins  which  have  accumulated  in 
the  old  Jewish  capital,  it  is  impossible  to  identify  those  which 
date  from  different  epochs,  and  to  discriminate  between  them. 

The  extraordinary  difficulties  which  beset  the  study  of 
the  topography  of  a  great  metropolis  like  Jerusalem,  which, 
unlike  Athens  and  Borne,  has  not  a  single  authentic  monu¬ 
ment  of  its  remoter  periods  to  exhibit,  must  not  be  forgotten  ; 
and  keen  as  have  been  the  intellects,  and  wide  the  learning, 
and  strenuous  the  efforts,  of  those  who  have  sought  to  clear 

1  Plan  of  the  Town  and  Environs  of  Jerusalem ,  copied  from  the 
original  drawing  of  the  Survey  made  in  March  1841  by  Lieuts.  Aldrich 
and  Symonds,  in  Williams’  Holy  City,  i.  pp.  9-124. 

2  Model  of  Jerusalem ,  by  Edwin  Smith  :  scale,  nine  inches  to  a  mile. 


RECENT  A  UTIIOFJTIES. 


15 


up  the  perplexities  which  lie  in  the  way,  uniform  results  have 
by  no  means  been  attained ;  and  in  many  cases  I  have  been 
unable  to  form  any  judgment,  so  evenly  balanced  are  the 
arguments  offered  on  both  sides  of  a  disputed  question,  and 
have  therefore  been  compelled  to  postpone  a  decision  till  the 
future  shall  bring  more  light. 

In  addition  to  the  records  of  pilgrimage  and  travel,  among 

which  mav  be  mentioned  those  of  von  Schubert  and  Bus- 
»/ 

segger,  which  contain  measurements  of  the  height  above  the 
sea  of  many  objects  in  Jerusalem,  and  the  classic  work  of 
Robinson  already  referred  to,  there  are  the  following  later 
and  valuable  works,  all  of  which  I  shall  have  occasion  to  use 
in  the  course  of  the  following  pages  : — 

1.  J.  Wilson:  The  Lands  of  the  Bible,  Edin.  1847.  Vol.i., 
Jerusalem  and  its  Environs,  pp.  406—504  ;  vol.  ii.  pp. 
269-284. 

2.  W.  IX.  Bartlett :  Walks  about  the  City  and  Environs 
of  Jerusalem;  London,  2d  ed.  pub.  in  1850;  with  very  in¬ 
structive  sketches. 

3.  By  the  same :  A  Comparative  View  of  the  Situation 
and  Extent  of  Ancient  and  Modern  Jerusalem ;  Bond. ;  four 
plates,  containing  very  extended  panoramic  views  of  the  city. 

4.  David  Roberts  :  La  Terre  Sainte,  Vues  et  Monuments 
avec  une  Descr.liistor.  Bruxelles  1845.  Fob,  with  twenty-eight 
plates  representing  buildings  in  Jerusalem  and  its  environs. 

5.  The  Christian  in  Palestine,  by  Henry  Stebbing,  D.D., 
F.B.S. ;  the  drawings  recently  taken  by  W.  II.  Bartlett  on 
the  spot,  pp.  128-164.  Yol.  iv.,  with  twenty  plates  of  Jeru¬ 
salem  and  its  neighbourhood. 

6.  George  Williams :  The  Holy  City ;  Historical,  Topo¬ 
graphical,  and  Antiquarian  Notices  of  Jerusalem.  Second  ed. 
London  1849.  Yol.  ii.  contains  an  Architectural  History  of 
the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  by  Rev.  Robert  Willis, 
M.A.,  F.R.S.,  Jacksonian  Professor  in  the  University  of 
Cambridge.  With  an  Appendix  containing  an  historical  and 
descriptive  memoir  illustrative  of  the  Ordnance  Survey. 

7.  Yiews  in  the  Holy  Land,  with  historical  descriptions, 
by  Croly  and  Brockedon.  Four  vols.,  fol.  London  1847. 


16 


PALESTINE. 


8.  Dr  Ernst  G  ustav  Schultz,  Prussian  Consul :  Jerusalem, 
a  Lecture  read  before  the  Berlin  Geographical  Society. 
Berlin  1845.  With  a  map,  drawn  by  II.  Kiepert. 

9.  E.  Robinson :  Later  Researches  regarding  the  Topo¬ 
graphy  of  Jerusalem.  A  supplement  to  the  author’s  larger 
work  on  Palestine.  The  opposition  which  Robinson’s  views 
encountered1  from  the  writers  of  the  two  books  last  quoted 
called  forth  from  his  pen  a  series  of  articles,  first  published 
in  the  Bibliotheca  Sacra ,  and  afterwards  collected  into  the 
volume  whose  title  is  cited  above.  In  the  preparation  of  this 
work  he  was  led  to  reconsider  his  own  ground  very  carefully, 
and  to  weigh  the  value  of  the  opinions  of  Eli  Smith,  Wolcott, 
and  others.  Tuch,  certainly  an  excellent  judge,  praised  very 
highly  the  breadth  of  his  knowledge,  his  thoroughness,  and 
his  exactness,  and  not  less  the  quiet  dignity  with  which  he 
maintains  his  position,  the  last  of  which  is  in  striking  contrast 
to  the  tone  of  his  opponent  Williams.  I  agree  with  this 
judgment  entirely,  and  must  set  the  impartiality  and  the  love 
of  truth  which  Robinson  displays  over  against  the  unworthy 
attacks  of  the  Englishman,  even  though  I  cannot  always 
coincide  with  my  noble  and  learned  friend  in  all  his  conclu¬ 
sions.  Robinson  was  unable  to  take  advantage  of  the  work 
of  Krafft,  which  was  issued  subsequently  to  his  own.  The 
latter  author  opened  a  new  path  alike  divergent  from  that 
of  Williams  and  that  of  Robinson.  His  work  is  characterized 
by  great  candour,  learning,  rare  acuteness,  the  closest  observa¬ 
tion,  and  practical  acquaintance  with  the  whole  field.  Ilis 
work  I  may  cite  as, 

10.  The  Topography  of  Jerusalem,  by  W.  Krafft,  Bonn 
1846,  with  a  map.  It  may  be  consulted  in  connection  with 
the  work  of  his  comrade  in  travel, 

11.  F.  A.  Strauss:  Sinai  und  Golgotha.  Travels  in  the 
East.  Third  ed.  Berlin  1850,  pp.  201-342. 

12.  Dr  Ph.  Wolff:  Travels  in  the  Holy  Land.  Stutt- 
gard  1849.  With  a  map  of  Jerusalem  (reduced  from  that 
of  Gadow,  his  companion).  It  contains  within  a  very  com¬ 
pact  compass  many  a  valuable  passage  and  happy  sugges- 

1  Dr  Tucli,  in  Z.  d.  deutsch.  Morgenl.  Ges.  i.  pp.  355,  35G. 


RECENT  A  U TIIORI TIES. 


17 


tion,1  particularly  in  relation  to  the  condition  of  Jerusalem 
within  our  own  time. 

13.  Learned  and  condensed  articles  relating  to  the  topo¬ 
graphy  of  the  city,  and  to  subjects  which  have  recently  been 
brought  under  discussion,  may  be  found  in  Winer’s  Bill. 
ItealicdrterbucJi ,  under  the  heads  Jerusalem,  Antonia,  Zion, 
Golgotha,  Temple,  etc. 

Among  the  various  works  which  relate  to  special  parts  of 
Jerusalem,  such  as  the  Sepulchre,  the  Temple,  the  Tombs, 
etc.,  I  may  specify  the  following : — 

1.  C.  A.  Credner:  Nicephori  Chronographia  brevis. 
Dissert.  Gissae,  1838.  4to.  lieges  Tribuum  Israel :  Hebr®- 
orum  Pontifices  summi ;  Patriarchae  Hierosolymitani ;  Episcopi 
Romani,  etc. 

2.  W.  R.  Wilde :  Narrative  of  a  Voyage  to  Teneriffe, 
Palestine,  etc.  Dublin  1840.  Vol.  ii.  pp.  216-400:  par¬ 
ticularly  the  passages  relating  to  the  city  gates,  and  the  lines 
of  the  walls  at  the  time  of  their  rebuilding  by  Nehemiah. 

3.  James  Ferguson,  F.R.A.S. :  An  Essay  on  the  Ancient 
Topography  of  Jerusalem,  with  restored  plans  of  the  temple, 
etc.,  and  plans,  sections,  and  details  of  the  church  built 
by  Constantine  the  Great  over  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  now 
known  as  the  Mosque  of  Omar.  London  1847.  With  many 
sketches. 

4.  Dr  J oann.  Martin.  Augustinus  Scholtz  :  Commentatio 
cle  Golgoth®  et  Sanctissimi  D.  N.  Jesu  Christi  Sepulcri  situ. 
Bonn®  1825. 

5.  By  the  same :  Commentatio  de  Hierosolym®  singular- 
umque  illius  partium  situ  et  ambitu.  Bonn®  1835. 

6.  Dr  Justus  Olshausen  :  On  the  Topography  of  Ancient 
Jerusalem.  Kiel  1833. 

7.  Otto  Thenius :  Jerusalem  before  the  Captivity,  and  its 
Temple.  Liepsig  1849. 

8.  Alb.  Schaffter,  V.D.M. :  The  True  Site  of  the  Holy 
Sepulchre  ;  a  Historico-arcli®ological  Inquiry.  Bern  1849. 

9.  George  Finlay,  K.R.G. :  On  the  Site  of  the  Holy 
Sepulchre  ;  with  a  Plan  of  Jerusalem.  London  1847. 

1  Zeitsch.  d.  deutsch.  Morgenl.  Gesell.  iv.  p.  277. 

VOL.  IV. 


B 


18 


PALESTINE. 


10.  T.  Tobler  :  Scattered  Papers  in  tlie  Ausland,  1847, 
1848. 

11.  Iv.  von  Raumer’s  Contributions  to  Biblical  Geography. 
1843.  Jerusalem.  Pp.  51-63. 

12.  I  ought  not  to  omit  in  this  list  the  admirable  copper¬ 
plate  engraving,  from  the  hand  of  Halbreiter,  eight  feet  in 
length,  and  giving  the  city  and  all  the  neighbouring  places 
within  a  radius  of  forty  miles.  Munich  1850.  This  map 
contains  eighty  different  places  distinctly  entered,  and  found 
by  means  of  a  key.1 

13.  And,  finally,  the  whole  city  and  the  surrounding 
country  are  clearly  portrayed  upon  the  Relievo  Map  of 
Palestine  or  the  Holy  Land,  illustrating  the  sacred  Scrip¬ 
tures  and  the  researches  of  modern  travellers.  Constructed 
from  recent  authorities  and  MS.  documents  in  the  Office  of 
the  Board  of  Ordnance.  Embossed.  London. 

DISCUSSION  II. 

TIIE  SITUATION  OF  JERUSALEM,  AND  ITS  DIVISION  INTO  HILLS  AND  VALLEYS. 

1.  The  Site  of  the  City . 

The  present  city  of  Jerusalem  lies2  upon  a  broad  and 
high  plateau,  with  gently  arching  elevations,  and  connected 
only  on  the  north  side  with  the  wide  ridge  which  runs  north 
and  south  through  Palestine,  and  which  forms  the  watershed 
of  the  country.  Between  the  plateau  on  which  the  city 
stands  and  the  great  tract  at  the  north  there  runs  no  natural 
ravine  worthy  of  mention :  the  only  barrier  is  found  in  a  few 
slight  depressions,  which  serve  as  the  channel  of  some  unim¬ 
portant  brooks,  only  filled  during  the  rainy  season.  On 
all  the  other  sides  the  hills  rise  somewhat  higher  than  the 
plateau  on  which  it  stands.  In  Ps.  cxxv.  2,  the  writer  says 
of  the  protection  which  God  gives :  u  As  the  mountains  are 
round  about  Jerusalem,  so  the  Lord  is  round  about  His  people 

1  V.  Schubert,  Am.  in  Allgem.  Zeitung ,  Nos.  213,  91. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  pp.  258-260. 


A  K-<- 


sE  rAL 


/ 


SITE  OF  JERUSALEM. 


19 


from  henceforth  even  for  ever.”  The  whole  of  the  table¬ 
land  from  which  these  eminences  project  is  rocky,  and  rifted 
by  deep  gullies  or  gorges,  through  which  flow  no  constant 
streams,  but  only  the  intermittent  torrents  which  carry  off 
the  waters  which  fall  so  abundantly  during  the  heavy  rains. 
The  two  great  depressions  which  begin  on  the  north-west  side 
of  the  city,  the  valley  of  the  Kedron  or  of  Jehoshaphat  on 
the  east,  and  that  of  Gihon  on  the  west,  although  displaying 
at  times  the  most  formidable  streams,  which  foam  and  eddy 
and  roar,  yet  are  not  unfrequently  entirely  dry,  excepting  in 
the  places  where  the  rain-water  is  gathered  in  receptacles 
prepared  for  the  purpose.  Both  of  those  two  gorges,  which 
in  their  course  almost  skirt  the  city,  unite  at  a  distance  of 
between  two  and  three  miles  from  the  place  where  they 
appear:  this  junction  is  effected  on  the  south-eastern  side  of 
Jerusalem.  At  the  same  place,  a  third  but  less  important 
ravine  sets  in  from  the  north — the  Tyropoeon  of  the  ancients. 
Coming  from  the  heart  of  the  city,  it  enters  the  basin  formed 
by  the  confluence  of  the  other  two,  near  to  the  pool  of  Siloah 
and  the  King’s  Gardens.  From  that  point  the  united  gorge 
pursues  its  course  eastwardly  under  the  name  of  the  Ivedron 
valley,  passing  the  Convent  of  St  Saba,  and  after  traversing 
a  distance  measured  by  a  walk  of  three  or  four  hours,  it 
enters  the  basin  of  the  Dead  Sea.  These  deep  valleys  or 
ravines,  in  their  passage  by  the  city,  completely  separate  it 
from  the  adjacent  district  on  three  sides — the  east,  south, 
and  west.  They  differ  from  most  other  gorges  of  the  same 
character  in  this,  that  from  a  shallow  and  unimportant 
beginning  they  gradually  deepen,  till  in  their  later  course 
they  have  the  same  bold  and  precipitous  sides,  which  not 
uncommonly  characterize  mountain  streams  at  their  source. 

The  city  of  Jerusalem,  surrounded  by  such  steep  precipices 
on  the  east,  west,  and  south  sides,  unquestionably  owes  its 
security  to  them ;  for  they  effectually  shielded  it  from  attack 
in  those  three  quarters,  leaving  it  exposed  only  on  the  north 
side,  where  there  was  an  unbroken  connection  between  the 
rock  on  which  the  place  was  built,  and  the  great  ridge  or 
plateau  on  the  north.  This  exposed  quarter  w7as,  however, 


20 


PALESTINE. 


always  guarded  by  the  best  fortifications  which  the  people 
could  build.  In  the  middle  part  of  the  great  wall  which 
cuts  Jerusalem  off  from  the  country  lying  on  the  north, 
there  stands  the  mighty  Damascus  gate,  whose  name  shows 
which  way  it  looks,  and  which  alone  was  the  assailable  point 
when  the  city  was  surprised  and  attacked. 

The  great  rock  which  extends  southward,  and  which  is 
converted  by  the  gorges  which  encompass  it  into  a  kind  of 
peninsula  about  two  thousand  feet  in  height,  must  have 
always  been,  from  the  very  earliest  times,  the  place  which 
was  selected  as  the  site  of  Jerusalem.  This  tongue  of  land 
suggested  itself  to  the  Jebusites  as  a  strong  situation,  and  was 
long  occupied  by  them.  David  at  last  grasped  the  coveted 
possession,  and  on  it  he  built  the  “  city  of  David.”  And 
subsequently  the  influence  of  this  strong  position  is  unmis- 
takeable;  for  though  the  city  was  repeatedly  taken  and 
destroyed,  yet  new  walls  on  the  northern  side  were  constantly 
put  in  the  place  of  those  which  had  been  swept  away. 
How  much  more  transitory  would  have  been  the  fate  of 
Jerusalem,  if  it  had  been  built  by  the  sea,  or  upon  a  wide 
fertile  plain,  like  that  of  Esdraelon  !  The  Psalmist,  filled  with 
a  consciousness  of  the  wisdom  of  God  in  the  arrangement  of 
all  human  affairs,  recognises  the  deep  design  displayed  in 
this,  when  he  says  (cxxii.  3),  “Jerusalem  is  budded  as  a  city 
that  is  compact  together and  also  (lxxviii.  68,  69),  “  but 
chose  the  tribe  of  Judah,  the  Mount  Zion  which  He  loved. 
And  He  built  His  sanctuary  like  high  palaces,  like  the  earth 
which  He  hath  established  for  ever.” 

To  this  elevated  plateau,  2300  or  2400  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  Mediterranean,  and  about  a  thousand  more  above  the 
surface  of  the  Dead  Sea,  the  city  was  always  confined  :  it  could 
not  extend  itself  down  into  the  ravines,  it  could  in  no  way 
reach  beyond  them :  the  only  opportunity  which  it  had  of 
enlarging  itself  wras  towards  the  north.  To  determine  just 
what  the  limits  of  those  enlargements  were,  is  the  most  diffi¬ 
cult  task  which  we  encounter  in  studying  the  ancient  topo¬ 
graphy  of  Jerusalem ;  for  the  walls  which  were  built  did  not 
depend  at  all  upon  any  natural  and  permanent  physical  con- 


VIEW  FROM  THE  MOUNT  OF  OLIVES. 


21 


ditions  of  the  place,  but  solely  upon  the  will  of  man.  The 
changes  effected  during  the  lapse  of  centuries  caused  old 
architectural  structures  to  disappear,  and  give  place  to  later 
and  newer  ones,  built  often  upon  the  ruins  of  the  former. 
Meanwhile  the  outlines  of  the  city  remained  unchanged 
age  after  age :  the  lapse  of  even  a  thousand  years  had  no 
influence  upon  it.  And  although  Jerusalem  was  overlooked 
on  three  sides  by  the  high  hills  which  were  separated  from  it 
by  the  valley  of  Jehosliaphat  and  that  of  Gihon,  yet  the  lack 
of  fire-arms  in  former  days  made  it  inexpugnable  on  all  sides 
hut  one.  It  was  assailable  by  catapults  and  the  stone-hurling 
machines  only  on  the  north;  and,  consequently,  all  the 
assaults  which  the  city  endured,  from  those  of  Sennacherib 
and  Nebuchadnezzar  down  to  those  of  the  Turks,  were 
directed  against  the  northern  wall.  The  principal  point  of 
observation  was  from  the  Mount  of  Olives,  and  our  next  step 
will  be  to  take  a  survey  of  the  city  from  that  interesting 
spot. 

2.  Tice  Vieio  of  Jerusalem  and  its  Environs  from  the 
Mount  of  Olives. 

East  of  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat  rises  the  Mount  of 
Olives,  its  western  base  formed  by  a  steep,  high  precipice, 
but  its  top  becoming  far  less  distinctly  marked,  sloping  away 
in  gentle  terraces,  forming  three  rounded  and  by  no  means 
sharply  defined  peaks,  the  central  one  of  which  is  the  highest. 
This  one  rises  about  175  feet  higher  than  the  highest  part 
of  Jerusalem — the  old  fortress  on  Mount  Zion — the  most 
southerly  projection  of  the  rock  on  which  the  city  stands. 
The  height  of  the  Mount  of  Olives  is  given  as  2509  feet  by 
von  Wildenbrucli,  2551  feet  by  von  Schubert,  2249  feet 
by  Symonds.  Yon  Schubert  makes  it  to  stand  38  GO  Paris 
feet  above  the  Dead  Sea;  Symonds,  3479  Paris  feet.  The 
middle  of  the  three  peaks  of  the  Mount  of  Olives,  the 
highest,  is  the  one  on  which  the  Chapel  of  the  Ascension 
stands ;  and  it  is  from  that  point  that  Ilalbreiter’s  panoramic 
view  wras  taken.  The  most  northerly  peak  is  called  in  the 
legends  Viri  Galilsei.  The  whole  mountain  is  usually  known 


09 


PALESTINE. 


by  the  Arabic  word  Jebel  et  Tar,  though  Edrisi  calls  it 
Jebel  Zeitun.  Bising  as  it  does  416  feet  above  the  valley 
of  the  Kedron,1  or,  according  to  some  measurements,  as  much 
as  600  feet,2  it  has  the  appearance  of  a  hill  of  much  greater 
pretensions  than  it  really  is. 

A  tolerably  large  number  of  olive  trees  still  adorn  the 
mountain,  and  give  it  its  name ;  and  at  its  western  base  is 
the  cluster  of  verv  ancient  ones,  known  throughout  the  vTorld 
as  those  supposed  by  some  travellers  to  indicate  the  garden 
of  Gethsemane.  A  great  portion  of  the  mountain  consists  of 
tilled  land;  even  the  highest  peak  of  all  admits  of  being 
ploughed,  and  is  covered  with  a  growth  of  barley;  yet  a 
considerable  share  of  the  whole  surface  of  the  mountain  is 
rocky,  and  incapable  of  cultivation.  The  place  where  the 
Chapel  of  the  Ascension  stands  is  held  by  many  to  be  the 
place  where  the  Saviour  left  the  earth,  and  His  footsteps  are 
still  shown  to  the  credulous ;  but  the  tradition  is  in  direct  con¬ 
tradiction  to  the  statement  made  in  the  Gospel,  u  And  He  led 
them  out  as  far  as  to  Bethany;  and  He  lifted  up  His  hands, 
and  blessed  them.  And  it  came  to  pass,  while  He  blessed 
them,  He  was  parted  from  them,”  etc.  Bethany  lies  as  far 
from  the  summit  of  the  Mount  of  Olives  as  the  latter  is 
from  Jerusalem.  The  chapel  on  the  summit3  is  an  unattrac¬ 
tive  building  in  the  interior,  built  by  the  Armenians,  in  the 
place  of  a  former  one  ascribed  to  the  Empress  Helena.  The 
place  is  a  sacred  one  not  only  in  the  eyes  of  Christian  pil¬ 
grims,  but  also  of  Mohammedans,  although  they  hold  that 
Jesus  ascended  directly  from  the  cross  to  heaven.  It  may 
be  said,  that  false  as  is  the  tradition  which  connected  the  top 
of  the  Mount  of  Olives  with  the  ascension  of  the  Saviour, 
it  is  of  a  piece  with  the  countless  fables  which  have  been 
woven  around  Jerusalem.  The  names  which  have  been 
given  by  the  monks  to  designate  places  which  they  make  the 
scene  of  biblical  events,  may  not  all  be  so  readily  shown  to  be 
destitute  of  a  real  basis  as  that  given  to  the  church  on  the 

1  Yon  Schubert,  Reise  in  das  Morgenland,  ii.  p.  521,  Note. 

2  J.  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  i.  pp.  416,  482. 

3  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  274,  and  Note,  p.  504. 


VIEW  FROM  THE  MOUNT  OF  OLIVES. 


23 


Mount  of  Olives,  but  in  such  a  work  as  this  they  must  be 
passed  over :  they  contribute  nothing  to  geography,  and 
must  be  left  to  those  who  are  content  to  read  the  records  of 
.those  pilgrims  who  delight  to  receive  such  traditions. 

The  chapel  known  as  that  of  the  Ascension  has,  then, 
only  this  interest  and  value  to  us,  that  from  its  roof  we  have 
the  most  commanding  view  of  the  city,  and  of  a  circle  whose 
radius  is  from  thirty  to  forty  miles  in  length.  The  prospect 
which  is  afforded  from  that  point,  Bartlett  considers1  one 
of  the  finest  in  the  world,  since  the  whole  city  can  be  seen 
as  in  a  half  bird’s  eye  perspective,  while  yet  it  is  close  at 
hand,  and  can  be  inspected  in  its  smallest  details.  The  hills 
and  valley  all  around,  form,  says  von  Schubert,  a  fine  frame 
to  the  picture  of  the  sacred  city.  Eastward,  the  eye  runs 
from  point  to  point,  till  at  last  it  rests  upon  the  basin  in 
which  lies  the  Dead  Sea ;  then  receding  farther,  it  fixes 
upon  the  mountains  of  Moab,  with  Pisgah  and  Nebo  pro¬ 
minent  among  them,  although  Robinson  does  not  speak  of 
the  chain  as  exhibiting  any  marked  peaks,  but  as  being  a 
long,  unbroken,  monotonous  ridge.  The  depressed  valley 
of  the  Jordan  can  be  traced  with  the  eye  from  its  mouth 
northward,  as  far  as  to  the  site  of  Jericho  and  Mount  Qua- 
rantania ;  after  reaching  those  points,  it  is  hid  by  the  inter¬ 
vening  mountains.  Its  course  is  at  once  detected  between 
Jericho  and  the  sea,  by  tbe  line  of  green  which  runs  along 
its  margin,  in  the  strongest  contrast  with  the  barren,  desolate 
shores  of  the  Dead  Sea,  over  which  hangs  a  dense  hazy  cloud 
of  a  peculiar  hue,  suggesting  to  Wilson  the  idea  of  a  caldron 
of  molten  lead.  Robinson  saw  the  Dead  Sea  so  distinctly, 
that  the  glance  of  the  sun  on  the  water  was  distinctly  dis¬ 
cernible,  and  so  near  apparently,  that  it  seemed  to  be  not  more 
than  three  or  four  hours  distant.  The  eye  can  also  follow  the 
whole  course  of  the  Kedron  valley,  and  the  view  is  limited  at 
the  south  by  the  Engeddi  hills  and  the  Frank  Mountain. 

Directly  over  the  Mount  of  Olives  run  three  footpaths 
from  the  city  to  the  village  of  Bethany.  The  most  northerly 

1  Bartlett,  Walks ,  pp.  101-105.  Comp,  liis  Views  of  the  City ,  Plate 
10 ;  von  Schubert,  Reise,  Pt.  ii.  pp.  520—522. 


24 


PALESTINE. 


one  of  all  passes  over  the  highest  peak,  and  is  the  one  most 
generally  taken :  the  most  southern  passes  over  the  depres¬ 
sion  which  lies  on  the  south  side  of  the  peak.  The  mountain 
then  changes  its  name,  and  rises  again,  beyond  that  depres¬ 
sion,  bearing  the  title  Mount  of  Offence.  It  was  the  Mons 
Scandali  and  Mons  Offensionis  of  the  early  pilgrims,  and 
draws  its  name  from  the  idolatrous  service  which  Solomon  is 
said  to  have  celebrated  upon  it  in  honour  of  Chemosh,  the 
Moabite  god,  at  the  dictation  of  some  of  his  foreign  wives 
(1  Kings  xi.  7).  But  Robinson  was  unable  to  discover  that, 
before  the  year  1283,  any  such  opinion  was  current.  Not¬ 
withstanding  the  probability  that  this  w7as  the  place,  and  the 
expression  in  the  books  of  Kings,  that  Solomon  paid  this 
worship  on  one  of  the  mountains  before  Jerusalem,  indi¬ 
cating  one  lying  towards  the  east,  Brocardus  is  the  first 
writer  who  notices  the  fact,  and  it  seems  to  have  come  into 
general  recognition  during  the  Crusades.  The  Mount  of 
Offence  closes  the  view  on  the  south.  The  view  of  Jerusalem 
from  the  summit,  Bartlett  has  taken  for  the  frontispiece  of 
his  finely  executed  work :  he  gives  the  city,  not  as  it  now  is, 
but  as  it  wras  before  the  Destruction,  while  guarded  with  its 
three  walls.1 

The  footpath  to  Bethany,  now  el-Azariyeh  of  the  Arabs, 
i.e.  the  village  of  Lazarus,  leads  along  the  eastern  slope  of 
the  Mount  of  Olives,  through  a  pleasant  tract,  here  and  there 
displaying  open  corn-fields  and  fruit-trees,  and  passes  a  clus¬ 
ter  of  whitewashed  houses  which  lie  scattered  among  dark 
olive  trees,  which  mark  the  hither  bounds  of  the  solitary 
Jericho  desert.  On  the  right  stand  the  fragments  of  a  tree 
dating  from  the  middle  ages;  behind  this,  on  a  naked  hill, 
some  walls,  which,  when  seen  near  at  hand,  prove  to  be 
the  desolate  village  of  modern  Bethany.  At  the  entrance 
to  it,  the  traveller’s  attention  is  called  to  wdiat  is  said  to 
be  the  grave  of  Lazarus. 

The  most  northern  peak  of  the  Mount  of  Olives,  Yiri 
Galiisei,  is  only  a  quarter  of  an  hour’s  wralk  distant  from  the 

1  Bartlett,  Walks ,  eic.,  pp.  29,  80.  See  also  Bartlett  and  Bourne, 
Comparative  View ,  Tab.  iv. 


VIEW  FROM  THE  MOUNT  OF  OLIVES. 


25 


Mohammedan  wely.  Upon  the  summit  Robinson  measured 
a  base  line  for  the  purpose  of  accurately  surveying  the  city. 
One  result  of  these  measurements  was,  that  the  Church  of  the 
Holy  Sepulchre  was  found  to  be  just  an  English  mile  distant 
from  that  place.  On  the  farther  side  of  that  northern  peak 
the  Mount  of  Olives  bends  westward,  completely  surrounding 
the  upper  part  of  the  Kedron  valley,  which  in  that  portion 
is  filled  with  gardens  and  corn-fields.1  The  blending  of  the 
mountain  with  the  great  rolling  plain  north  of  the  city  here 
begins,  and,  without  any  great  natural  break,  the  sacred 
eminence  of  which  we  have  spoken  passes  into  the  great 
field  of  so  many  battles.  Towards  this  north  side,  this  rolling 
plain,  the  Damascus  gate,  the  chief  entrance  to  the  city,  looks. 
From  it  diverge  three  roads,  all  of  which  run  more  or  less 
northward,  one  leading  north-westward  to  Beit  Hanina,  which 
lies  wTest  of  the  watershed,2  and  sends  its  waters  to  the  Medi¬ 
terranean.  Two  hours’  distance  from  it  rises  the  peak  known 
as  the  ancient  Mizpeh,  but  now  called  the  Neby  Samwil,  and 
supposed  to  have  been  the  home  of  the  prophet  Samuel.  It 
rises  above  the  uniform  mountains  of  Ephraim  as  a  prominent 
landmark.  The  second  road  runs  north-eastwardly  along  the 
extreme  northern  base  of  the  Mount  of  Olives  to  Anata,  Jeba, 
and  Mishinas  (Anathoth,  Gebah,  and  Michmasli),  following 
the  rocky  pass  between  the  sharp  cliffs,  where  Jonathan  the 
son  of  Saul  made  his  valiant  opposition  to  the  Philistines, 
and  where  the  line  ran  between  the  tribes  of  Ephraim  and 
Benjamin3  (1  Sam.  xiv.  4).  The  third  road  runs  from  the 
Damascus  gate  due  northward  past  Tuleil  el  Fulil  (Gibeah, 
the  home  of  Saul)  to  el-Bireh  (Biroth,  the  city  of  Ben¬ 
jamin)  and  Jisna,  and  is  the  main  road  to  Nablus  and 
Damascus.  From  it  the  mountains  of  Samaria  can  be  dis¬ 
tinctly  descried  in  the  distance.  Going  away  from  the  gate, 
it  is  necessary  to  cross  the  slight  depression  formed  by  the 
beginning  of  the  Kedron  valley,  or  that  on  the  other  side,4 
which  develops  later  into  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  and 

1  Gaclow,  Mittheil.  i.a.l.  iii.  p.  38. 

2  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  p.  37  ;  Bartlett,  Walks ,  p.  104. 

3  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  259.  4  Ibid.  p.  275. 


26 


PALESTINE. 


then  to  ascend  the  first  rising  ground  swelling  away  north¬ 
ward,  from  the  highest  point  of  which  the  traveller  takes  his 
last  view  of  the  famous  city  which  he  has  just  left;  and 
arriving  at  the  village  of  Schafat,  only  fifty  minutes’  distance 
north  of  the  gate,  Jerusalem  passes  entirely  out  of  sight. 
The  rising  ground,  which  in  it  most  elevated  portion  is 
passed  in  twenty-five  minutes  after  leaving  the  city,  is,  ac¬ 
cording  to  Robinson,  unquestionably  the  Scopus  of  J osephus, 
where  Cestus  coming  from  Gabaon,  the  present  el-Gib,  and 
afterwards  Titus  coming  from  Gophnah,  the  present  Jisna, 
pitched  their  camps.  From  this  point  Titus  had  his  first 
view  of  the  city  and  its  splendid  temple.  On  that  same 
place  the  ravaging  hordes  of  the  Assyrians  and  Chaldaeans 
made  their  appearance  ;  after  them,  of  the  crusaders  and  the 
Moslems ;  and  there  lay  the  scene  of  many  a  battle  and 
bloody  slaughter. 

North  of  Scopus,  and  a  half-hour’s  distance  behind  el- 
Bireh  already  named,  the  eminence  in  the  rear  of  which  is 
Beitin  forms  the  extreme  northern  barrier  in  the  line  of 
horizon  running  from  the  prominent  Neby  Samwil  in  the 
west,  and  the  vet  more  distant  mountains  of  Samaria  in  the 
east.  This  Beitin  indicates  the  location  of  the  ancient 
Bethel,  i.e.  house  of  God,  which  was  as  early  as  the  times  of 
Abraham  and  Jacob  a  sacred  place  (Gen.  xii.  8,  xxviii.  11-19), 
which  was  in  the  time  of  Joshua  a  royal  Canaanite  city 
(Josh.  xii.  16),  and  afterwards  the  place  where  the  ark  of 
the  covenant  was  kept  (Judg.  xx.  26),  and  a  border  city 
between  Benjamin  and  Ephraim.  After  Symonds’  measure¬ 
ments1  were  completed,  Beitin  (Bethel)  was  found  to  be  1767 
Paris  feet  (1883  Eng.  feet),  and  Neby  Samwil  2484  Paris 
feet  (2648  Eng.  feet),  above  the  sea:  the  latter  was  ascer¬ 
tained  to  be  nearly  nine  hundred  feet  the  higher  of  the  two, 
which  indeed  seemed  highly  probable.  The  same  measure¬ 
ments  determined  Neby  Samwil,  the  highest  point  around 
Jerusalem,  the  ancient  watch-station  Mizpeh,  to  be  two 
hundred  and  seventy-five  feet  higher  than  the  Mount  of 

1  Rougli  sketch  of  a  portion  of  the  triangulation  of  the  Southern 
Dis.  of  Syria,  examined  by  F.  L.  Symonds,  Lond.  1849. 


VIEW  FROM  THE  MOUNT  OF  OLIVES. 


27 


Olives  (2249  Paris  feet,  2397  Eng.),  several  feet  less  than 
von  Wildenbruch.  and  von  Schubert  had  made  it  out  to  he. 

The  low  situation  of  Beitin,  with  its  ruins,  is  concealed 
from  view  by  the  low  range  of  hills  lying  before  it,  which 
forms  by  no  means  so  distinct  a  landmark  when  seen  from  the 
Mount  of  Olives  as  does  the  neighbouring  Neby  Samwil. 

The  view  westward  from  the  Mount  of  Olives  takes  in 
the  whole  length  and  breadth  of  the  city  of  J erusalem  ; 
directly  beyond  it,  in  the  direction  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea, 
the  horizon  is  bounded  by  a  low  flat  ridge,  which  passes  by 
an  imperceptible  transition  into  the  high  plain  of  Rephaim. 
I  do  not  find  any  distinct  mention  of  its  name,  unless  it  takes 
the  same  with  that  of  the  valley  which  begins  in  it,  and 
deepens  in  its  southward  course,  close  by  the  city — the  valley 
of  Gihon.  This  low  ridge  and  the  plain  of  Rephaim  form  a 
part  of  the  great  watershed  line,  extending  from  the  Wadi 
Hanina  southward  to  Bethlehem  and  Hebron,  though  the 
slope  of  the  plain  is  so  far  inclined  westward  that  its  waters 
run  towards  the  Mediterranean.1  As  the  Mons  Scandali,  i.e. 
the  Mount  of  Offence,  closes  the  view  from  the  Mount  of 
Olives  towards  the  south-east,  the  Gihon  ridge  closes  it  on 
the  west.  On  the  S.S.w.  the  lofty  plain  of  Rephaim2  hems  in 
the  prospect ;  the  old  name  having  come  down  little  modified 
by  time,  for  this  was  the  ancient  valley  of  the  Rephaim  or 
giants.  The  plain  was  broad  enough  to  afford  a  fine  camping- 
ground  for  the  Philistines  when  they  came  out  to  attack 
Jerusalem,  and  they  were  repeatedly  driven  from  it  by  David 
(2  Sam.  v.  18-25).  The  high  plain  of  Rephaim  is  a  cele¬ 
brated  locality,  therefore,  and  extends  far  westward  into  that 
deep  and  narrow  Wadi  Werd,  which,  when  joined  with  the 
Beit  Hanina,  extends  as  far  as  to  Wadi  Surar  and  Nahr 
Rubin,  and  offered  to  the  Philistine  armies  the  most  direct 
and  available  approach  to  Jerusalem.  On  an  eminence  in 
the  more  southern  part  of  this  depression  can  be  seen  from 
the  Mount  of  Olives  the  Greek  Convent  of  Elias  (Deir  Mar 
Elyas),  and  in  the  rear  the  hill  on  which  stands  Bethlehem, 

1  H.  Gadow,  Mittheil.  i.a.l.  iii.  p.  37. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  210,  220,  27G. 


23 


PALESTINE. 


while  the  mountains  of  Hebron  are  seen  in  the  distance, 
forming  the  horizon.  Northward  the  plain  of  Rephaim  is 
seen,  over  which  runs  the  aqueduct  of  Solomon  and  the 
road'  from  Bethlehem,  which  to-day  seems  to  be  scarcely  less 
rich  than  it  is  painted  by  Isaiah  (xvii.  5),  covered  as  it  is  with 
fields  of  wheat.1  Here  the  ruins  of  former  houses  are  seen, 
some  of  them  extending  very  close  to  the  wTalls  of  J erusalem ; 
between  them,  however,  comes  the  Valley  of  Hinnom,  whose 
southern  border  is  formed  by  an  unimportant  rocky  ridge — 
the  northern  hem,  so  to  speak,  of  the  plain  of  Rephaim. 
This  slight  elevation,  which  is  directly  opposite  to  Mount 
Zion,  and  a  little  east  of  the  usual  road  to  Bethlehem,  bears 
the  name  of  the  Mountain  of  Evil  Counsel.  Its  base  rises 
steeply  from  the  Valley  of  Hinnom  for  twenty  or  thirty 
feet,  and  then  displays  shelving,  rocky  sides,  in  which  are 
several  excavations  which  have  served  as  graves.  Higher 
still  it  is  less  steep,  and  at  the  top  becomes  quite  fiat,  and 
merges  itself  gradually  at  the  south-east  in  the  plains  of 
Rephaim.  South  of  the  Mount  of  Evil  Counsel  there  begins 
a  small  wadi,  running  eastward  parallel  with  the  Valley  of 
Hinnom,  but  only  half  so  deep,  and  enters  the  lower  end  of 
the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat.  The  eastern  face  of  the  mount, 
where  it  touches  the  Kedron  valley,  is  equally  high,  but  not 
quite  so  bold  as  that  which  is  opposite  to  Mount  Zion.  The 
shattered  houses  which  are  scattered  over  this  eminence  seem 
to  betoken  the  existence  of  a  former  village  there  :  among 
them  seems  to  be  the  ruins  of  a  Mohammedan  wely,  as  well 
as  of  an  ancient  Christian  church  and  convent.  The  village 
was  standing  two  hundred  years  ago,  and  was  mentioned  by 
Cotovicus  and  Doubdan.  The  monks  have  asserted  since  the 
fifteenth  century  that  this  mountain  was  the  one  where  the 
house  of  Caiaphas  stood,  in  which  the  Jewish  priests  and 
scribes  took  counsel  with  Judas  Iscariot  regarding  the  betrayal 
of  the  Saviour  (Matt.  xxvi.  3,  4  ;  John  xi.  47)  ;  and  from 
this  legend  springs  the  name  now  generally  applied  to  the 
eminence. 

1  Gesenius,  Commentar.  zu  Isaias ,  i.  p.  55D. 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


29 


DISCURSION  III. 

THE  CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS,  AND  THE  LOCALITIES  JUST  OUTSIDE 

OF  THEM. 

We  now  turn  back  to  the  broad  and  high  plateau  which 
runs  down  between  the  Kedron  and  Gihon  valleys  in  the 
form  of  a  bold  tongue  of  land,  and  which  is  in  great  part 
covered  with  the  edifices  which  constitute  the  city  of  Jerusa¬ 
lem.  We  will  follow  the  line  of  walls  which  marks  the  outer 
side  of  this  tongue  of  land,  beginning  with  its  north-eastern 
portion,  where  one  may  look  down  into  the  upper  portion  of 
the  Kedron  valley.  From  that  point  the  temple  mountain 
(Moriah)  reaches  as  far  as  to  where  it  falls  away  with  terraced 
sides  to  the  Valley  of  Hinnom.  Parallel  with  the  deepening 
Kedron  or  Jehoshaphat  vale  the  walls  run  southward,  forming 
at  once  the  eastern  barrier  of  the  city  and  that  of  the  temple 
area,  as  appears  decisively1  in  Nell.  iii.  30-32.  Always 
following  the  high  margin  of  the  rock,  it  runs  southward  till 
it  reaches  the  cross  valley  of  Hinnom,  running  from  east  to 
west,  when  it  too  makes  a  sharp  turn  and  runs  westward  to 
the  Mount  of  David,  the  renowned  Zion.  Thus  the  southern 
face  of  the  great  promontory  on  which  the  city  stands  is 
alike  ornamented  and  defended  by  this  strong  defence.  At 
the  abrupt  steep  of  Zion  the  wall  turns  northward,  and  fol¬ 
lows  the  line  of  the  Gihon  valley  as  far  as  to  the  north-west 
corner  of  the  city.  Thus  far  we  are  on  sure  ground  ;  for  the 
natural  character  of  the  place  is  such,  that  as  it  is  now  it  must 
always  have  been :  the  rock  has  not  changed,  and  there  is  no 
opportunity  there  for  hypothesis  to  gain  a  foothold.  It  would 
have  been  far  different,  if,  beginning  at  the  north-west 
corner,  we  had  sought  to  trace  our  course  across  to  the  north¬ 
eastern  one.  In  order  to  understand  the  difficulties  connected 
with  this  subject,  however,  and  to  interpret  the  description  of 
Josephus,  and  what  he  has  said  upon  the  direction  of  the 
walls  towards  the  four  cardinal  points,  it  will  be  necessary  to 
enter  upon  that  careful  study  of  the  physical  character  of 
1  Krafft,  Topographic,  pp.  54,  100,  155. 


30 


PALESTINE. 


the  city,  and  the  natural  inequalities  in  its  surface,  in  which 
Gadow1  has  so  carefully  led  the  way. 

1.  The  Eastern  Wall  of  the  City  and  Temple  from  the  north¬ 
eastern  corner  and  the  Stephen  s  Gate  to  the  Mosque  el 
AJcsa. 

At  the  north-east  corner  of  the  present  wall  of  the  city, 
now  shielding  mere  fields  and  a  hill  scantily  covered  with 
houses  (the  Bezetha  of  Josephus),  belonging  to  the  Moham¬ 
medan  quarter  of  the  city,  lie  many  ruins  and  architectural 
fragments  hard  to  identify,  but  originating,  in  the  opinion  of 
Gadow,2  at  the  time  of  the  Crusades.  At  all  events,  the 
place  is  the  same  which  Josephus  states  was  the  location  of 
the  great  u  corner  tower,”  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  fuller’s 
field  (Isa.  vii.  3).  Near  this  place,  according  to  Krafft, 
must  have  been  the  encampment  of  the  Assyrians.  A  ditch 
hollowed  out  from  the  rock  accompanies  this  northern  wall, 
running  eastward ;  part  of  it  is  walled  over,  but  is  in  a  state 
of  decay :  it  bears  the  name  Birket  el  Haj,3  or  Pilgrim’s 
Pool.  The  ditch  and  the  wall  seem,  from  their  parallel 
courses,  to  have  the  same  antiquity,  and  run  side  by  side  till 
they  reach  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  where  they  turn  toward 
the  south.  The  ditch  continues  its  course  near  the  wall  for 
some  distance,  but  at  length  ceases  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  Birket  Hummam  Sitti  Mar  jam,  i.e.  Pool  of  the  Bath  of 
the  Virgin  Mary.  This  ditch  is  to  be  seen  in  Robinson’s 
map,  but  its  southern  extremity  is  wrongly  termed  the  Birket 
el  Hejjeh  :  it  should  have  been  given  to  that  portion  of  it 
which  lies  near  the  northern  wall,  the  name  Hejjeh  being 
probably  another  form  for  Haj.  The  pool  by  the  side  of 
the  eastern  wall,  and  not  far  from  St  Stephen’s  Gate,  is  about 
four  times  the  larger  of  the  two,  but  it  is  generally  dry.  Its 
name  is  derived  from  the  fact  that  its  waters  were  generally 

1  Yon  Raumer,  Pal.  312,  Note  209  ;  Schultz,  Jerusalem ,  p.  57 ; 
Krafft,  Topographie ,  p.  19. 

2  Gadow,  Mitth.  iii.  p.  401  ;  comp.  Krafft,  Topogr.  pp.  47, 11 S. 

3  Schultz,  Jerusalem ,  p.  37  ;  Krafft,  Topog.  p.  47  ;  Roberts,  The  Holy 
Land ,  Book  ii. 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


31 


used  to  supply  a  bath  within  the  city  hearing  the  name  of 
the  Virgin  Mary.  Outside  of  the  gate,  east  of  the  Kedron, 
stands  an  edifice  which  is  called  the  Church  of  the  Sepulchre 
of  Mary. 

The  high  eastern  rim  of  Mount  Moriah,  throughout  its 
entire  extent  from  north  to  south,  is  reduced  to  very  small 
proportions  by  the  nearness  of  the  wall  to  the  edge.  Room 
is  left  merely  for  footpaths,  and  every  inch  of  available  space 
is  occupied  by  Mohammedan  graves  and  those  of  the  cru¬ 
saders.  The  place  being  surrounded  by  the  high  terrace  of 
the  Haram,  the  ground  becomes  so  holy,  that  on  the  day  of 
resurrection  and  the  last  judgment,  to  be  held  in  the  valley 
of  Jehoshaphat,  special  security  is  obtained1  by  being  buried 
there.  Numerous  white  gravestones  of  Jews  cover  the 
steep  slope  of  the  hill  as  far  as  to  the  very  bottom  ;  for 
they  too  hold  that  this  place  is  to  be  the  scene  of  the  final 
judgment,  quoting  in  support  of  their  belief  various  passages  in 
the  third  chapter  of  Joel.  In  accordance  with  this  view,  they 
interpret  the  name  Jehoshaphat  itself,  u  The  Lord  judges.” 

The  name  Haram,  or  Haram  es  Scherif,  is  applied  by  the 
Mohammedans  to  the  place,  inaccessible  to  unbelievers,  in 
whose  midst  stands  the  present  Mosque  of  Omar  (Kubbet 
es  Sakhah,  i.e.  Dome  of  the  Rock),  which  occupies  the 
site  of  the  former  temple  of  Solomon 2  on  Mount  Moriah. 
Although  in  its  special  form — an  oblong  quadrilateral — the 
place  has  suffered  many  minor  changes,  yet  the  description 
which  Josephus  gave  of  the  situation  of  the  various  parts  of 
the  temple  can  now  be  understood  and  verified.  The  Gate 
of  St  Stephen,  near  which  a  legend  dating  from  the  four¬ 
teenth  century  asserts  that  the  martyrdom  was  accom¬ 
plished,  has  thus  derived  its  modern  name.3  The  account 
* 

1  Von  Schubert,  Prise,  ii.  pp.  524,  525 ;  Bartlett,  Walks,  p.  17  ; 
Strauss,  Sinai  und  Golgotha,  p.  269. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  281  ;  Schultz,  Jerusalem ,  p.  32  ; 
Catherwood,  in  Bartlett,  Walks ,  pp.  143,  148-16S  ;  Ivrafft,  Topog.  pp. 
69,  100,  etc. 

3  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  2G2;  Schultz,  Jerusalem,  p.  70;  Krafft, 
Topog.  p.  149. 


32 


PALESTINE. 


in  Acts  vii.  58  is,  that  u  they  cast  him  out  of  the  city,  and 
stoned  him.”  From  the  time  of  Arculfus  to  that  of  De 
Suchem,  the  scene  was  supposed  to  he  on  the  north  side  of 
the  city,  and  in  front  of  the  Damascus  gate.  From  the 
position  of  St  Stephen’s  Gate  on  the  north-east  side  of  the 
Haram,  and  on  the  way  leading  by  the  Church  of  Mary’s 
Sepulchre  to  the  Mount  of  Olives,  it  is  sometimes  called  by 
Christians  the  Bab  SittiMarjam.  The  fact  that,  on  the  out¬ 
side,  four  lions  are  cut  in  the  stone  above  the  roadway,  makes 
it  evident  that  the  gate  is  not  of  Mohammedan  construction, 
and  it  probably  dates  back  to  the  time  of  the  Crusades. 
At  the  north-eastern  corner  of  the  Haram  there  are  still  to 
be  seen  colossal  remains  of  a  tower,  apparently  of  very  ancient 
origin,  and  connected  with  the  Birket  Israin  by  a  little  gate. 
Krafft  holds  this  to  be  the  “  sheep  gate  ”  mentioned  in 
Nell.  iii.  1,  with  which  he  begins  his  description  of  the  re¬ 
erection  of  the  walls  on  the  west  side.  The  name  was  derived 
in  Nehemiah’s  time  undoubtedly  from  the  sheep-market, 
into  which  the  creatures  were  driven  from  the  east,  as  is 
still  the  custom  among  the  Beduins.  Bobinson  looked  for 
the  gate  thus  designated  by  Nehemiali  farther  southward.1 
The  gate  known  by  the  name  of  St  Stephen  is  sometimes 
called  Bab  es  Subab,2  i.e.  the  Gate  of  the  Tribes,  and  is  the 
only  one  open  towards  the  east :  it  is  therefore  always  taken 
by  the  pilgrims  when  on  their  way  to  Jericho.  The  Golden 
Gate  (Porta  Aurea  of  the  Crusaders),  called  by  the  Arabs  in 
former  times  Bab  er  Bachmeh,  the  Gate  of  Grace,  and  now 
Bab  el  Daheriyyeh,  Gate  of  Eternity,  is  no  longer  opened; 
but  since  the  time  of  Omar  it  has  been  walled  up,  in  order  to 
prevent  access  on  the  eastern  side.  As  it  has  a  depth  of 
seventy  feet,  its  interior3  was  changed  into  a  little  mosque. 
If  opened,  it  would  lead  to  the  interior  of  the  temple  area,  on 
which  account  it  was  walled  up  by  the  Saracens,  there  being 
a  Mohammedan  tradition  that  a  new  king  shall  one  day  pass 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  277. 

2  Krafft,  Topographie ,  p.  48. 

3  Bartlett,  Walks ,  p.  17  ;  Wolff,  Reise,  p.  48  ;  Williams,  Holy  City , 
ii.  pp.  313,  355,  358,  Note  3  ;  Roberts,  The  Holy  Land ,  Book  iii. 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


33 


through  that  gate  to  take  command  of  all  the  earth.  This 
unquestionably  is  based  upon  the  Christian  idea  of  the  com¬ 
ing  of  Christ’s  kingdom,  and  is  the  reason  probably  why 
sentinels  are  always  posted  on  the  inner  side  of  this  gate.  At 
the  time  of  the  Crusades  it  was  only  opened  once  a  year — on 
Palm  Sunday — to  celebrate  the  entrance  of  Messiah  into 
Jerusalem,  which  it  was  thought  had  been  through  this  gate. 
(Matt.  xxi.  8  ;  John  xii.  13). 

Externally  the  gate  displays  a  double  arch  of  Roman 
architecture,  recognised  as  such  by  Pococke,  Robinson,1  and 
others,  and  ascribed  by  them  to  the  Emperor  Hadrian.  They 
suppose  that  it  was  built  at  the  same  time  that  he  erected 
on  the  site  of  Jerusalem  the  JElia  Hadriana,  and  replaced 
the  ancient  Jewish  temple  by  one  dedicated  to  Jupiter. 
Jerome  states  that  in  his  time,  a.d.  400,  he  saw  a  statue  of 
the  god  near  the  equestrian  figure  of  Hadrian  (probably  the 
two  statues  of  which  the  Itinerar.  Hierosol.  ad  ann.  333  says  : 
“sunt  ibi  et  statuae  duse  Adriani”2).  They  stood  on  the  same 
side  of  the  area,  where,  a  little  farther  to  the  south,  Hadrian’s 
palace  was  erected,  which  Jerome  also  asserts  that  he  had 
seen.  The  conjecture  of  Pococke  was  confirmed  by  Krafft’s 
discovery  J  of  a  Latin  inscription  with  Hadrian’s  name  over 
the  southern  wall.  The  finished  style  of  the  carved  work  of 
the  east  gate,  as  well  as  that  found  in  a  now  inaccessible 
southern  gate,  near  the  temple  terrace  and  below  the  Mosque 
el  Aksa,  seems  to  have  the  same  antiquity,  and  to  date  from 
the  same  emperor’s  era. 

The  inscription,  whose  first  letter  is  imperfect,  has  now 
been  made  out  in  full  by  Schultz,  and  runs,  as  we  learn  from 
Tuch’s  Oriental  Journal ,  I ITO.  AEL.  IIADRIANO. 
Although,  as  Tuch4  remarks,  it  does  not  refer  to  Hadrian 
the  founder  of  the  AElia  Capitolina,  but  to  his  successor,  Tit. 
Ael.  ILadr.  Antoninus  Pius,  in  Avhose  honour  it  was  set  up  by 
the  ruling  governor,  yet  it  remains  a  lasting  monument  of 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  296,  297. 

2  Itin.  Anton.  Aug.  ed.  Partliey  et  Pinder,  p.  279. 

3  Krafft,  Topog.  pp.  40,  73,  etc. 

4  Zeitsch.  der  Deutsch.  Morgenl.  Ges.  Pt.  iv.  pp.  253,  395. 

YOL.  IV.  0 


34 


PALESTINE. 


the  fact,  that  at  the  restoration  of  the  city  on  the  east  and 
south  sides  as  well  as  on  the  north,  the  effort  was  made  to 
restore  the  wall  of  Agrippa,  which  had  been  destroyed  by 
Titus,  unchanged  in  its  general  direction.  This  Roman 
restoration  has  continued,  according  to  Robinson,  Schultz, 
and  Krafft,  unchanged  in  its  main  character  throughout  the 
middle  ages  up  to  the  present  day ;  and  even  the  southern 
portion  of  the  city,  which  was  shut  out  by  Hadrian’s  wall, 
remains  shut  out  by  the  south  wall  until  now. 

Catherwood,1  who  was  permitted  to  make  the  most  minute 
investigations  regarding  the  exterior  of  the  Golden  Gate,  as 
well  as  of  its  interior,  confirms  the  Roman  character  of  its 
external  double  arch  with  its  capitals,  but  leaves  it  undeter¬ 
mined  whether  the  interior  wall,  eleven  feet  in  thickness, 
though  a  walk  of  columns  passes  up  to  the  formerly  accessible 
temple  terrace,  is  a  remnant  of  the  ancient  Jewish  temple 
and  city  wall,  or  the  work  of  Hadrian’s  time.  The  situation 
of  this  gate  now  walled  up  may  have  lain  tolerably  near  the 
middle  of  the  chief  (east)  entrance  to  Solomon’s  temple,  as  it 
does  at  present  in  relation  to  the  mosque.  Yet,  as  Robinson 
remarked,2  it  lay  a  little  northward  of  the  eastern  entrance 
to  the  temple ;  and  Gadow’s  very  accurate  observations  place 
the  inner  side  of  this  now  half-destroyed  gateway  rather  on 
the  north  side  of  the  little  plateau  surrounding  the  Mosque 
of  Omar, — a  position  which  is  confirmed  by  Symonds’  map  of 
the  city.  It  is  possible  that  that  situation  may  exactly  indi¬ 
cate  the  site  of  the  ancient  east  gate,  which  was  provided 
with  a  vestibule,  and  regarded  with  reverence  as  the  chief 
portal.  The  watchman  of  this  gate,  mentioned  by  Nehemiah 
(iii.  29)  by  name,  held,  according  to  2  Chron.  xxxi.  14,  a 
more  honourable  position  than  the  other  Levites  who  tended 
the  gates.  The  most  sacred  gifts  were  entrusted  to  him ;  and, 
indeed,  the  ancient  temple  gate  on  the  east  side  was  covered 
with  gold,  from  which  circumstance  it  is  probable  that 

1  Bartlett,  Walks,  pp.  158-160,  Note.  Comp.  Roberts,  The  Holy  Land, 
Book  iii. ;  Ferguson,  Essay,  p.  94. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  284 ;  Gadow,  in  Zeitsch.  i.a.l.  iii. 
p.  45. 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


85 


the  name  Porta  Aurea,  used  by  the  crusaders,  takes  its 
origin.1 

The  nearer  this  portion  of  the  eastern  wall  of  the  city 
comes  to  the  south-eastern  corner  of  the  Haram  or  temple 
area,  the  nearer  does  it  approach  the  steep  declivity  of  the 
Valley  of  Jehoshaphat.  It  is  here  that  the  oldest  and  most 
colossal  stones  are  found,  at  the  extreme  south-eastern  corner : 
the  distance  of  the  wall  from  the  verge  is  scarcely  ten  steps. 
It  is  here  that  Gadow  has,  in  the  course  of  his  very  accurate 
investigations,  traced  the  remains  of  an  arch  which  he  com¬ 
pares  with  that  discovered  by  Bobinson,  and  entered  by  him 
upon  his  map  under  the  title  of  the  Ancient  Bridge.  Accord¬ 
ing  to  his  view,  the  latter  belonged  to  that  row  of  mighty 
arches2  which  once  spanned  the  Tyropoeon,  the  hollow 
between  Mount  Moriah  and  Mount  Zion.  Bartlett  has  de¬ 
voted  two  views  to  this  bridge,  constructing  it  theoretically 
in  its  ancient  shape  and  proportions.  The  remains  of  the 
arch  on  the  east  side  of  the  Haram  is,  according  to  Gadow’s 
measurement,  less  colossal  than  that  on  the  west  side,  yet  still 
of  no  inconsiderable  size.3  The  two  upright  stones  are  about 
eleven  feet,  the  transverse  ones  about  sixteen  feet  in  length. 
The  great  depth  of  the  Kedron  valley — at  least  a  hundred 
and  fifty  feet — makes  it  entirely  impossible  that  there  should 
ever  have  been  a  bridge  spanning  the  valley;4  and  it  is  pro¬ 
bable  that  this  arch  formed  the  support  for  a  flight  of  steps 
leading  to  the  fountains  and  gardens  below. 

At  the  same  corner  Gadow  discovered  the  remains  of  an 
ancient  cistern  :  the  traces  of  the  cement  cling  to  the  oldest 
stones  of  the  wall,  and  may  be  seen  nine  feet  above  the  pre¬ 
sent  pile  of  rubbish.  The  discovery  was  first  made  in  con¬ 
sequence  of  excavation.  It,  as  well  as  the  fragment  of  the 
arch  above,  entirely  escaped  the  eye  of  the  English  surveyors. 
This  south-east  corner  of  the  temple  area,  which  forms  at  the 

1  Krafft,  'Topographic,  p.  155. 

2  See  copy  of  this  in  Bartlett,  Walks,  p.  135 ;  also  frontispiece  in 
Bartlett  and  Bourne,  Ancient  and  Modern  Jerusalem. 

3  Robinson,  i.  pp.  219,  286-289. 

4  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  232,  271. 


36 


PALESTINE. 


same  time  the  south-east  corner  of  the  city  wall,  belongs  to 
the  most  remarkable  and  the  most  ancient  remains  of  J eru- 
salenq  even  if  I  do  not  go  further,  and  say,  of  all  existing 
architectural  monuments. 

This  wall  is  made  up  in  its  lowest  layers  of  very  large 
hewn  stones,  which,  according  to  Robinson,1  were  placed 
there  as  far  back  as  in  the  time  of  Solomon.  The  upper 
portion  of  the  wall  is  indeed  of  modern  construction  ;  while 
the  colossal  blocks — which,  however,  are  not  uniformly  found 
in  the  lowest  layer — seem  in  many  cases  to  lie  below  the 
rubbish,  but  in  this  south-east  corner  lie  particularly  exposed, 
and  are  almost  universally  supposed  to  form  a  part  of  the 
primitive  foundation.  The  appearance  is  as  if  in  every  part 
of  the  wall  an  original  structure  lies  beneath,  and  that  in 
later  times  new  walls  have  been  superimposed  upon  the  ruins 
of  the  more  ancient  ones.  The  line  of  separation  between 
the  old  and  the  new  is  therefore  always  discernible,  but  not 
always  regular.  The  ancient  blocks  are  found  in  some  cases 
much  higher  up  than  in  others ;  here  and  there  the  rents  are 
filled  in  with  rude  masonry ;  sometimes  the  whole  wall  is 
modern,  and  the  base  of  it  hidden  by  the  rubbish.  Robin¬ 
son  found  on  the  east  as  well  as  upon  the  south  side  of  this 
wall,  squares  of  from  seventeen  to  nineteen  feet  in  length, 
three  and  four  feet  in  width,  and  one  even  seven  and  a  half 
feet  high.  Near  the  St  Stephen’s  Gate  he  found  one  stone 
twenty-four  feet  long,  six  feet  broad,  and  three  feet  high. 
Nor  is  it  alone  the  colossal  character  of  single  stones  in 
this  wall  which  excites  the  spectator’s  astonishment :  the 
extent  of  the  structure  is  not  less  remarkable,  extending  as 
it  does  along  the  temple  area  a  distance  of  nearly  fourteen 
hundred  German  feet,  which,  when  we  add  the  parts  which 
have  been  filled  in  during  modern  times,  coincides  with  the 
measurement  of  this  side  of  the  temple  wall  given  by  Jose¬ 
phus. 

The  south  wall  of  the  Haram  runs  westward  from  the 
high  south-east  comer,  and  in  its  middle  part  is  somewhat 
concealed  from  view  by  the  adjacent  Mosque  el  Aksa,  which 
1  Kobinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  232,  237,  238. 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


37 


runs  out  towards  the  south.  Its  whole  lineal  extent  can  be 
traced,  however,  to  the  south-west  corner,  although  this  lies 
within  the  city.  From  this  point,  the  wall  which  forms  the 
western  boundary  of  the  temple  area  takes  its  regular  course 
northward ;  but  its  west  side  is  not  to  be  plainly  traced,  since 
it  is  concealed  for  the  most  of  the  way  by  the  buildings  which 
are  erected  against  it. 

The  south  wall  of  the  Haram,  Gadow  found  on  measure¬ 
ment  to  be  eight  hundred  and  sixty  feet  in  length.  It  extends 
across  the  entire  breadth  of  the  temple  area,  but  it  does  not 
seem  to  correspond  so  closely  with  the  proportions  assigned 
by  Josephus1  as  does  the  length  of  the  eastern  wall.  Yet  it 
must  be  said  that  here,  as  in  all  other  cases,  it  is  very  difficult  to 
ascertain  the  exact  distance  implied  in  ancient  measurements. 
Gadow  remarks  that,  despite  this  want  of  concord  in  the  two 
accounts,  the  theory  is  untenable  that  a  part  of  the  wall  is  of 
modern  construction,  and  has  been  joined  to  the  old  portion; 
for  there  is  a  uniformity  in  the  style  throughout  the  entire 
structure  which  disproves  such  a  theory.  The  stones  are  all 
of  them  three  feet  long  and  three  feet  high.  On  the  west 
side,  a  few  feet  from  the  s.w.  corner,  there  are  to  be  found 
the  remains  of  the  very  oldest  portion  of  all;  colossal  stones2 
in  close  connection  with  the  fragment  of  an  arch  already 
alluded  to,  which  Robinson  discovered,  and  which  he  supposed 
to  be  a  part  of  a  bridge  once  spanning  the  Tyropoeon  and  lead¬ 
ing  to  the  Xystus.  The  lower  stone  in  the  south-west  corner 
of  the  wall  has,  according  to  Gadow’s  measurements,  the  great 
length  of  twenty-nine  and  a  half  feet.  In  a  direct  line  with 
this  is  the  Jews’  Wailing  Place,  whose  colossal  walls  have 
been  made  familiar  to  readers  by  manifold  descriptions  and 
drawings.  In  consequence  of  their  peculiar  construction,  with 
bevelled  edges  and  polished  surface,  they  resemble  in  their 
appearance  the  colossal  blocks  incorporated  in  the  east  wall 
of  the  Haram ;  but  they  are  entirely  unlike  any  Roman  or 
Saracenic  remains,  and  probably  date  back  as  far  as  to  the 
age  of  Solomon.  I  have  already  referred  to  the  occurrence 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  291,  292. 

2  Bartlett,  Walks ,  p.  140,  Tab.  xix. ;  comp.  Krafft,  Topographic,  113. 


88 


PALESTINE. 


of  similar  architectural  forms  in  the  walls  of  Hebron  which 
surround  the  grave  of  Abraham.  These  at  Jerusalem  are 
the  stones  which  were  set  there  in  the  reign  of  Solomon  or 
his  successor,  and  are  referred  to  by  Josephus  as  11  fixed  for 
all  coming  time.”  On  this  west  side,  near  the  so-called  south¬ 
west  corner,  a  piece  seemed  to  Robinson,1  at  his  first  visit,  to 
have  been  detached  from  its  place,  and  to  be  threatening  to 
fall.  On  repeated  visits,  he  discovered  that,  although  the 
stones  projected  in  such  a  way  as  to  indicate  that  the  wall  was 
rent  and  might  shortly  fall,  yet  that  it  was  built  so,  and  that 
the  blocks  were  in  their  natural  and  primitive  position.  The 
outer  surface,  he  discovered,  formed  a  regular  curve,  and  the 
arrangement  of  the  stones  was  such  as  to  form  the  commence- 
ment  of  an  arch.  This,  he  conjectured,  formed  a  part  of  a 
bridge  which  once  spanned  the  Tyropoeon,  and  led  to  Mount 
Zion.  This  monument  wras  a  proof,  in  the  opinion  of  the 
discoverer,  of  the  antiquity  of  the  whole  wall  from  whose 
side  it  springs.  He  also  supposed  that  it  was  the  >ye(f)vpa  of 
Josephus  which  led  from  the  court  of  the  temple  to  the 
Huo-to?,  i.e.  the  open  terrace  before  the  Asmonasan  Palace, 
and  which  connected  Moriah  and  Zion.  It  served  as  an 
avenue  of  escape  for  the  remnant  of  the  Jewish  defenders  of 
the  city  after  being  driven  from  the  temple ;  and  after  they 
had  passed  over  it  to  Mount  Zion,  they  destroyed  the  bridge, 
cutting  off  the  approach  of  the  Romans,  and  enabling 
them  for  a  short  time  to  prolong  their  defence.  It  is 
indeed  singular  that  the  existence  of  such  a  structure  should 
have  been  so  speedily  forgotten ;  but  that  is  no  more  so,  than 
that  it  should  have  been  so  easily  destroyed  by  the  retreating 
Jews. 

The  approximate  length  of  this  ancient  Gephyra,  according 
to  Robinson’s  measurement  of  the  breadth  of  the  Tyropoeon, 
was  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet.  The  traces  of  the  arch, 
according  to  the  same  authority,  are  plainly  discernible,  and 
extend  fifty-one  feet  along  the  wall.  The  stones  may  be  seen 
in  three  layers,  occupying  their  original  position.  Each  one 
is  above  five  feet  four  inches  thick.  Some  of  them  are  very 
1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research.!,  pp.  237,  286.  [See  Am  Later  Researches.'] 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


39 


long,  one  of  them  being  over  twenty  feet,  and  another  over 
twenty-four.  Robinson’s  very  careful  measurements  are  fully 
confirmed  by  his  successors;  yet  Wolff,1  in  his  travels,  adds 
a  remark  which,  if  it  should  be  confirmed,  would  give  an 
entirely  different  character  and  import  to  this  arch.  It  is 
evident  that  it  would  have  required  many  similar  ones  to 
have  sustained  a  bridge  across  the  Tyropoeon,  but  Robinson 
searched  in  vain  on  the  slope  of  Mount  Zion  opposite  for 
any  trace  of  a  similar  abutment ;  yet  this  part  may  have  been 
covered  with  the  accumulations  of  centuries.  There  has  been 
no  lack  of  objections  to  Robinson’s  hypothesis,  founded  mainly 
upon  the  various  views  regarding  the  course  of  the  Tyropoeon, 
and  the  arrangement  of  the  interior  of  the  city.  Wilson  2  pro¬ 
pounds  the  conjecture  that  this  fragment  of  an  arch  has  some 
connection  with  the  subterranean  fragments  of  the  Mosque 
el  Aksa. 

Williams,  Schultz,  and  Krafft  supposed  the  location  of  the 
ancient  Xystus  to  have  been  farther  north,  and  regard  the 
Gephyra  of  Josephus  not  as  a  bridge,  but  an  earth  wall  like 
that  which  now  passes  the  house  of  the  cadi,3  whose  position 
corresponds  to  the  ancient  location  of  the  terrace  connected 
with  the  Xystus,  and  which  to-day  serves  as  a  means  of  com¬ 
munication  between  Mount  Zion  and  the  Haram  terrace.  It 
forms  the  present  street  of  David,  and  is  in  part  built  upon 
rubbish  collected  in  the  Tyropoeon.  The  colossal  arch  lies 
altogether  too  far  down  the  valley,  says  Krafft,  to  have  formed 
a  part  of  a  connection  between  the  two  opposite  mountain 
slopes.  The  steep  declivity  on  the  eastern  side  of  Zion  pre¬ 
sents  one  face  at  least  thirty  feet  in  height ;  and  the  end  of  the 
bridge  must  have  rested  on  a  site  even  higher  than  that,  in  order 
to  give  free  access  to  the  hill.  Krafft  supposes  it  much  more 
probable  that  this  arch  served  as  the  foundation  for  a  flight  of 
steps  leading  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  declivity,  and  that 
there  was  a  similar  flight  on  the  opposite  side.  The  accounts 
of  Jeremiah  and  Josephus  hint  not  obscurely  at  the  existence 

1  Wolff,  Reise  in  das  Gelobte  Land ,  p.  67. 

2  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  i.  p.  468. 

8  Schultz,  Jerusalem ,  p.  28  ;  Krafft,  Topogr.  pp.  15,  60-62,  94,  etc. 


40 


PALESTINE. 


of  several  stone  stairways,  and  they  are  found  even  now  in 
various  places  on  the  west  side  of  the  Idaram.  Their  exist¬ 
ence  appears  to  afford  a  key  to  the  character  of  the  arch 
discovered  by  Gadow,  outside  of  the  eastern  wall,  and  already 
referred  to.  Tohler  made  an  interesting  discovery,  in  1846, 
of  some  subterranean  vaults  near  the  Mekhemeli,  or  Court  of 
Justice,  which  he  supposed  to  have  some  connection  with  the 
arch  discovered  by  Robinson.  Should  that  discovery  be  fully 
confirmed,  it  will  do  much  to  settle  this  disputed  question. 
Williams  agrees  with  Wilson  in  considering  the  arch  the  work 
of  Saracens,  and  as  dating  back  to  a  period  subsequent  to  the 
age  of  Justinian.  Still,  in  spite  of  all  objections  which  have 
been  made  to  Robinson’s  theory,  and  into  which  I  cannot  go, 
von  Raumer,  in  his  latest  edition,  adheres  to  the  view  origin¬ 
ally  promulgated  by  the  American  discoverer.  In  this  Bartlett 
coincides.  The  grounds  on  which  von  Raumer  bases  his  judg¬ 
ment,  regarding  this  as  wTell  as  many  other  disputed  points, 
are  fully  detailed  in  the  special  discussion  on  Jerusalem, 
in  his  classic  work,1  to  which  I  will  briefly  refer  the  reader, 
instead  of  going  over  the  ground  myself.  It  is  evident  that 
there  will  long  be  differences  of  opinion  regarding  a  locality 
so  little  known  as  Jerusalem,  just  as  there  have  been  in 
regard  to  a  city  much  nearer  us — the  great  Italian  capital. 
Where  the  most  acute  and  learned  men  have  failed  to  come  to 
a  unanimity  of  mind  on  the  spot  itself,  those  of  us  who  must 
follow  the  labyrinth  by  means  of  only  secondary  helps  may  not 
claim  an  authoritative  power  of  decision.  For  my  own  part,  I 
assume  no  umpire’s  place,  excepting  in  matters  of  a  purely 
geographical  character,  and  do  not  attempt  to  pronounce 
authoritatively  upon  matters  of  which  only  they  who  have 
studied  the  history  and  archaeology  of  the  entire  subject  can 
be  competent  judges.  I  wish  to  express  my  indebtedness 
to  the  brief  though  admirable  work  of  one  of  the  latest 
travellers  in  the  Holy  Land — Philip  Wolff.  From  him  I 
have  gathered  much  of  what  will  follow ;  and  to  him  also  I 
am  largely  indebted  for  the  method  of  treatment.  I  should 
not  omit  to  state,  that  in  his  impartial  account  he  has  in- 
1  Yon  Kaumer,  Pal.  pp.  251-321,  393,  etc. 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


41 


corporated  several  new  and  important  facts ;  and,  in  parti¬ 
cular,  a  valuable  description  of  the  temple  wall  and  its  two 
southern  corners.1  Using  bis  work  somewhat  exhaustively, 
I  shall  be  compelled  to  pass  more  hastily  than  I  could  wish 
over  the  larger  and  more  comprehensive  works  of  those  who 
have  entered  deeply  into  the  discussion  of  the  antiquities  of 
Jerusalem. 

2.  The  Southern  Wall  of  the  City  from  the  Mosque  el  AJcsa  to 

the  Zion  Gate,  and  the  south-west  corner  of  Mount  Zion. 

Near  the  Mosque  el  Aksa,  which  breaks  the  southern 
wall  of  the  temple  area  near  the  middle  point,  the  present 
city  wall  leaves  that  of  the  temple,  and  runs  for  a  short 
distance  directly  southward,  before  turning  in  a  direct  angle 
westward,  towards  the  Tyropoeon  and  Mount  Zion.  This 
mosque,  which  is  at  the  most  southern  part  of  the  temple 
area,  seems  to  derive  its  name  el-Aksa,  i.e.  the  outermost, 
from  the  fact  that,  of  the  three  especially  hallowed  mosques — 
namely,  those  of  Mecca,  Medina,  and  Jerusalem — it  is  the 
most  northerly  one,  and  therefore  the  one  farthest  away.  It 
does  not  lie  exactly  at  the  middle  of  the  southern  wall  of  the 
temple  area,  but  is  three  hundred  and  thirty-seven  feet  west 
of  the  south-east  corner.  East  of  the  city  wall  at  this  point, 
the  direct  descent  to  the  Kedron  valley  is  a  hundred  and 
fifty  feet,  and  the  ascent  to  the  highest  point  within  the 
temple  area  is  a  hundred,  making  an  entire  altitude  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and  giving  that  corner  of  the  city 
the  imposing  aspect  for  which  it  is  celebrated.  The  south 
wall  of  the  city,  measured  on  the  top  of  Ophel,  is  sixty  feet 
high ;  and  the  corner  which  it  makes  with  the  southern  wall 
of  the  temple  area  forms  a  tolerably  square  tract,  which 
serves  as  the  garden  of  the  mosque.2  This  place  was  once 
evidently  covered  deeply  with  rubbish  ;  for  the  surface  of  the 
ground  is  fifty  feet  lower  inside  of  the  wall  than  it  is  on  the 
outside.  / 

In  the  innermost  corner  of  this  angle  stands  the  mosque 

1  Ph.  Wolff,  Raise  in  das  Gelobte  Land ,  pp.  64-68. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  285. 


42 


PALESTINE. 


of  el-Aksa,1  already  named,  which,  with  its  neighbouring 
buildings,  was  first  portrayed  in  Symonds’  plan,  and  described 
by  Catherwood,  as  the  interior  was  then  accessible.  The 
main  structure  seems  to  owe  its  existence  to  Justinian, 
while  much  of  the  adjoining  architecture  is  of  Mohammedan 
origin.2  It  is  two  hundred  and  eighty  feet  in  length  from 
north  to  south ;  it  has  a  fine  dome  over  the  central  part  of  the 
nave,  and  has  on  each  side  three  minor  naves.  The  breadth 
of  the  whole  is  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet,  and  the  roof  is 
supported  by  thirty  or  forty  pillars  of  various  materials,  partly 
of  Saracenic,  partly  of  Roman  workmanship.  On  the  west 
side  there  is  a  second  mosque,  two  hundred  feet  in  length, 
called  Abu  Bekr;  and  connected  with  this,  still  another  one 
running  northward,  the  Mosque  of  Moghrebin,  i.e.  of  the 
Africans.  This  is  utterly  unimportant,  and  has  probably 
been  erected  since  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  century.  These 
structures  are  mainly  interesting  from  the  fact  that  they  are 
supported  by  massive  and  extensive  subterranean  arches,  by 
means  of  which  the  surface  of  the  whole  enclosure,  formerly 
a  shelving  one,  is  levelled  up  on  the  south,  as  we  have  it 
to-day.  From  the  north  facade  of  the  Mosque  el  Aksa,  built 
in  fine  Norman  Gothic  style,  formerly  inaccessible  to  Chris¬ 
tians,  and  only  described  by  Ali  Bey  from  hearsay,  a  double 
vault  conducts  us  out  of  the  inner  area  of  the  Haram  under 
the  mosque,  and  ends  at  a  double  gate  in  the  southern  wall 
of  the  city,  which  is  adorned  with  Corinthian  columns,  but 
is  at  present  walled  up.  It  is  considered  to  have  been  the 
gate  to  the  temple  of  Jupiter  erected  by  Hadrian,  and  that 
the  ascent  had  to  be  made  through  this  passage.  On  both 
sides,  east  and  west,  these  mighty  subterranean  structures 
continue,  extending  with  their  countless  pillars  and  arches  for 
hundreds  of  feet,  and  perhaps  underlying  the  whole  breadth 
of  the  southern  area ;  for  there  are  passages  leading  down  in 
the  western  mosque,  that  of  the  Moghrebin,  near  the  south- 

1  Ferguson,  Essay,  Plate  ii. :  Interior  of  Mosque  el  Aksa. 

2  Comp.  Catherwood,  in  Bartlett,  Walks,  pp.  155-163 ;  Ferguson, 
Essay ,  p.  139 ;  Williams,  Holy  City ,  ii.  pp.  301-313 ;  Ferguson,  Tab. 
iv.  and  v. 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


43 


west  corner,  and  also  near  the  opposite  or  south-east  corner. 
The  Turks  hold  these  entrances  to  have  been  parts  of 
Solomon’s  temple.  In  the  middle  ages  these  subterranean 
vaults  were  known;  and  Felix  Fabri,1  who  obtained  access  to 
them  through  the  shattered  wall  of  the  city,  thought  them  to 
be  the  stables  of  Solomon,  and  says  that  six  hundred  horses 
could  have  been  kept  in  them ;  a  comparison  which  may  have 
arisen  from  the  fact  that  the  Knights  Templar,  who  lived  on 
this  side  of  the  city,  may  have  appropriated  them  to  this  pur¬ 
pose.  The  whole  of  these  wonderful  subterranean  passages 
have  been  in  a  measure  examined  and  sketched  by  Catherwood. 
After  exploring  the  whole  of  the  area  thus  filled,  he  ascertained 
that  the  vaults  and  arches  are  supported  by  fifteen  rows  of 
square  pillars,  underlying  the  whole  southern  part  of  the 
temple  enclosure.  In  many  cases,  the  roots  of  the  cypresses 
and  olive  trees  growing  above  have  pierced  through,  and  may 
be  seen  overhead.  The  subterranean  passages  extend  three 
hundred  feet  towards  the  west,  one  to  two  hundred  feet  north¬ 
ward  over  an  uneven  bottom,  and  the  pillars  vary  from  ten  to 
twenty-five  feet  in  height.  Some  of  these  are  four  and  a  half 
feet  in  diameter,  very  well  hewn,  often  made  of  large  bevelled 
stones,  and  executed  in  the  Roman  style.  The  whole  place  is 
only  accessible  through  some  holes  in  the  outer  wall,  and  there¬ 
fore  so  faintly  lighted  that  the  study  of  its  architecture  is  very 
incompletely  effected;  and  it  will  be  difficult  to  pronounce  with 
any  degree  of  certainty  upon  the  age  in  which  these  works 
were  made,  and  in  what  style,  till  a  more  perfect  exploration 
shall  be  undertaken.  At  present  there  is  the  greatest  diver¬ 
sity  of  opinions  regarding  the  time  when  they  were  con¬ 
structed,  and  the  nationality  of  the  builders.  It  is  known  from 
Josephus  that  the  southern  side  of  the  temple  area  had  gates 
which  opened  to  the  interior,  and  that  there  stood  a  princely 
hall  which  Herod  the  Great  built  close  to  the  south  wall,  at 
the  same  time  that  he  enlarged  the  temple  area.2  Josephus^ 
says  of  this  palace  of  Herod,  that  it  -was  the  u  most  remark- 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  802. 

2  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  i.  pp.  408-472. 

8  Krafft,  Topofjr.  pp.  62,  73,  74. 


44 


PALESTINE. 


able  work  that  ever  the  sun  shone  on,”  magnificent  and 
luxurious,  like  all  that  monarch’s  buildings.  It  seems  to  have 
been  a  triple  hall,  extending  from  the  Kedron  valley  to  the 
Tyropoeon,  and  displayed  four  rows  of  pillars,  of  which  those 
at  the  sides  were  lower  than  those  in  the  middle,  like  those 
to  be  seen  in  the  Mosque  el  Aksa.  It  may  be  possible  that 
Herod  made  use  of  older  arches  and  vaults  which,  as  Jose¬ 
phus  suggests,  were  in  connection  with  the  temple  of  Solomon, 
and  were  of  use  in  constructing  his  splendid  work,  which 
stood  so  high  that  it  made  those  giddy  who  looked  down  into 
the  Kedron  valley.  It  may  have  formed  a  part  of  his  plan 
in  erecting  that  building,  to  enlarge  the  temple  enclosure  on 
the  south,  and  level  it. 

After  the  destruction  effected  by  Titus,  Hadrian  erected 
his  new  edifices  on  the  southern  side  of  the  temple  enclosure  ; 
especially  a  large  gate,  probably  the  same  one  which  Cather- 
wood  observed  from  the  inner  side  of  the  area,  and  which  was 
traced  on  the  outside  by  Wolcott. 

Shortly  before  the  middle  of  the  sixth  century,  the  Emperor 
Justinian1  erected  a  magnificent  church  in  Jerusalem,  in 
honour  of  the  Virgin  Mary.  The  description  of  it  given  by 
Procopius  borders  on  the  fabulous.  Only  at  the  southern  end 
of  the  temple  enclosure  can  its  situation  be  determined  ;  and 
after  the  invasion  of  the  Arabs  it  was  transformed  into  the 
building  which  afterwards  became,  with  supplementary  addi¬ 
tions,  the  Mosque  el  Aksa.2  At  the  period  of  the  Crusades, 
this  structure,  with  the  numerous  ones  adjoining  it,  was 
reckoned  as  the  portico  of  Solomon’s  temple.  It  was  after¬ 
wards  called  the  Palatium,  and  was  the  first  residence  of  the 
Christian  kino’s  of  Jerusalem.  It  afterwards  became  the 

O 

dwelling  and  guard-house  of  the  Knights  Templar ;  but  the 
historians  and  pilgrims  of  that  time  have  left  no  clear  descrip¬ 
tion  of  it.  The  difficulties  of  investigating  and  of  judging 
are  here  very  formidable,  and  many  points  can  be  regarded  as 
by  no  means  settled. 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  296-300,  384;  Wolcott,  Bib.  Sacra , 
i.  1843,  pp.  17,  18 ;  Rodiger,  Rec.  in  Allg.  Lit.  Z.  1842,  No.  110. 

2  Roberts,  The  Holy  Land,  Book  iii. 


CIRCUIT  OF  TIIE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


45 


Among  the  latter  may  be  reckoned,  by  way  of  illustra¬ 
tion,  a  subterranean  passage,1  beginning  close  to  the  eastern 
declivity  of  Ophel,  and  terminating  very  near  Mary’s  Foun¬ 
tain,  on  the  western  side  of  the  city.  It  is  built  of  great  hewn 
stones,  and  seems  to  have  been  an  ancient  sewer,  coming 
from  the  city  in  the  direction  of  the  temple  enclosure.  It 
has  been  brought  to  light  in  recent  times  by  being  used  by 
the  fellahs  and  Beduins  of  the  neighbourhood  as  a  means  of 
access  to  the  city.  According  to  Schultz,  it  runs  as  far  as 
the  western  wall  of  the  Haram ;  but  precisely  where  it  termi¬ 
nates  is  yet  unknown.  Gadow  has  located  its  mouth  in  his 
manuscript  map  of  the  city.  Tobler,  who  has  located  it  a 
little  farther  south-west  of  Mary’s  Fountain,  is  probably  the 
first  who  has  been  bold  enough  to  explore  this  passage.  He 
passed  six  hundred  and  twenty-two  feet  up  its  length,  as  far  as 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  pillars  which  run  around  the  temple 
enclosure,  but  the  masses  of  rubbish  prevented  his  further 
progress.  Another  passage  begins  a  hundred  paces  (according 
to  Robinson  three  hundred)  south  of  the  Dung  Gate,  and  was 
traced  by  Tobler  for  a  considerable  distance  far  within  the 
wall,  and  near  the  west  end  of  the  temple  bridge,  in  the 
quarter  el-Mugharibeh.  This  subterranean  canal  was  also 
used  in  1834  by  the  fellahin  to  enter  the  city  secretly  for 
purposes  of  robbery. 

These  and  similar  hidden  passages  leading  out  of  the 
ancient  city  are  unquestionably  the  ones  which  Titus  sought 
to  wall  up  at  the  time  of  the  great  siege.  We  learn  from 
Dio  Cassius,  that  before  he  attempted  to  cut  off  those  chan¬ 
nels,  the  Jews  were  in  the  habit  of  making  frequent  sallies, 
particularly  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  fountain  of  Siloah. 
When  the  Romans  took  the  city,  they  found  many  bodies 
lying  in  those  passages,  the  remains  of  those  who  had  pro¬ 
bably  been  smothered  there.  It  was  from  such  a  subterra¬ 
nean  asylum  that  Simon,2  with  several  dependants  and  stone 
hewers  whom  he  wished  to  use  as  helpers  in  his  plan,  made 

Schultz,  Jerusalem ,  p.  41 ;  Tobler,  in  Ausland ,  Jan.  22, 1848,  No.  19, 
p.  74  ;  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  2G5. 

2  Krafft,  Topographic,  pp.  83,  84. 


46 


PALESTINE . 


liis  exit  into  the  temple  enclosure.  He  had  remained  con¬ 
cealed  till  provisions  had  entirely  failed,  and  then,  rendered 
desperate  by  extremity,  he  wrapped  himself  in  a  purple 
mantle,  attempting  to  terrify  the  guard,  and  so  escape.  He 
was  taken,  however,  and  carried  to  Home  to  grace  the  con¬ 
queror’s  triumph. 

The  present  southern  wall  of  the  city,  which  on  the  side 
of  the  el-Aksa  mosque  is  wholly  modern,  does  not  allow  what 
is  beyond  to  be  seen  at  all,  viewed  from  the  outside,  so 
entirely  are  the  traces  of  the  southern  gate  of  the  temple 
enclosure1  concealed.  Yet  Gadow  claims  to  have  traced,  on 
both  sides  of  a  building  touching  the  el-Aksa  mosque,  the 
remains  of  an  ancient  arch,  observed  by  no  previous  traveller. 
It  appeared  to  be  composed  of  ancient  fragments,  since  the 
portion  of  the  arch  inside  of  the  wall  displayed  finer  work¬ 
manship  and  a  different  style  of  ornament  than  that  outside 
of  the  wall.  If  these  fragments  were  the  decorations  of  an 
ancient  gate,  it  must  have  led  directly  into  those  lower  rooms 
of  el-Aksa  which  have  been  considered  by  some  as  its  mere 
foundations.  A  window  ten  feet  in  height  allowed  Gadow 
to  discover,  still  beyond,  a  cruciform  Basilica,  with  columns 
and  low  vaults,  which  he  supposed  must  have  been  the  un¬ 
altered  lower  storey  of  the  church  of  Justinian.  Before  the 
erection  of  the  external  city  wall — that  is,  before  1536 — there 
must  have  been  free  access  afforded  by  the  open  arches  and 
the  confused  masses  of  fragments ;  and  that  this  was  the 
case  is  evident  from  the  language  of  pilgrims,  Felix  Fabri 
among  the  rest.  The  high  point  of  land  extending  south¬ 
ward  2  beyond  the  wall,  and  considered  now  to  have  been  the 
ancient  Ophel,  falls  away  in  gentle  terraces,  the  upper  ones 
of  which  embrace  the  entire  breadth.  This  projection,  whose 
southern  extremity  has  been  so  much  modified  by  art,  is  by 
no  means  so  bold  an  object  as  its  neighbour  Mount  Zion  ;  and 
yet  it  rises  to  a  considerable  height  above  the  lowest  part  of 
the  Kedron  valley,  and  gives  one  a  conception  of  the  depth 
of  that  valley.  The  eastern  declivity  of  Ophel  is  steep  and 

1  Kobinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  262 ;  Gadow,  ms.  plan. 

2  Gadow,  in  Zeitsch.  i.a.l.  iii.  p.  40. 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


47 


hard  to  climb,1  if  one  tries  to  ascend  it  from  Mary’s  Fountain 
lying  at  its  base.  The  bottom  of  the  Tyropoeon,  on  the 
west  side  of  Ophel,  lies  higher  than  those  of  the  Kedron  and 
Hinnom  valleys  in  their  lower  course.  It  falls  away  in  a 
gradual  succession  of  terraces,  planted  with  olive  trees,  like 
Mount  Moriah  itself ;  and  at  its  point  of  junction  with  the 
valleys  last  named,  it  does  not  glide  into  them  by  an  in¬ 
sensible  transition,  but  displays  a  terrace  of  considerable 
elevation  even  there.  The  eastern  wall  of  the  Tyropoeon  is 
not  so  steep  as  that  on  the  west  leading  up  to  Mount  Zion. 
Gadow,  after  the  most  careful  search,  was  unable  to  detect 
any  traces  of  ancient  walls  crossing  these  terraces,  and  lead¬ 
ing  from  Ophel 2  to  Zion.  The  Ophel  ridge,  it  will  be  seen 
by  the  reader,  parts  the  Kedron  and  Tyropoeon  valleys.  Its 
highest  portion  might  be  covered  with  houses,  and  cultivated ; 
its  steeper  slopes  remain  mostly  naked,  or  sustain  scattered 
groups  of  olive  trees,  between  which  ascend  steep  pathways. 
At  the  south-east  corner  of  the  city  wall,  Ophel  was  a 
hundred  feet  lower,  according  to  Robinson’s  measurement, 
than  the  upper  wall  of  the  temple  enclosure ;  while  the  end  of 
this  rocky  tongue  over  the  Pool  of  Siloah  is  about  forty  or 
fifty  feet  above  the  water  in  it.  The  extent  of  Ophel  from  east 
to  west — that  is  from  one  edge  to  the  other — is  about  three 
hundred  feet.  There  is  not  a  single  building  upon  the  whole 
of  this  tongue  of  land,  although,  as  we  learn  from  Josephus, 
its  entire  extent  as  far  as  Siloah  was  formerly  reckoned  as 
belonging  to  the  city.  When  the  new  wall  was  built  by 
Jeremiah,  it  extended  from  Zion  across  the  Tyropoeon  as 
far  as  to  the  Pool  of  Siloah,  which  furnished  water  to  the 
King’s  Garden  ;  from  that  point  it  turned  northward,  taking 
an  ascending  course  as  far  as  to  the  wall  Ophel,  whence  it 
ran  to  the  east  gate  (Neh.  iii.  15-28).  In  ver.  26,  we  are 
told  that  “  the  Nethinims  dwelt  in  Ophel,  unto  the  place  over 
against  the  water  gate  toward  the  east,  and  the  tower  that 
lieth  out.”  From  this  passage,  and  from  the  circumstance 
that  Ophel  is  not  reckoned  by  Josephus  among  the  hills  of 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  232,  311  et  scp 

2  Ibid.  i.  pp.  231,  261. 


48 


PALESTINE. 


Jerusalem,  and  in  almost  all  tlie  eight  places  where  the  name 
occurs  in  his  history  it  refers  to  buildings,  and  not  to  an 
eminence  of  land,  it  has  been  thought  that  the  name1  has 
been  improperly  applied  to  the  tract  of  rising  ground,  but 
that  at  the  outset  at  least  it  referred  to  edifices  of  some  kind. 
According  to  Krafft’s  observation,2  Ophel  was  a  walled  for¬ 
tress,  begun  by  Jotham  the  son  of  Uzziah  (2  Chron.  xxvii.  3  ; 
2  Kings  xv.  35);  and  it  was  referred  to  by  Isaiah  (xxxii.  14)  : 
u  Because  the  palaces  shall  be  forsaken;  the  multitude  of  the 
city  shall  be  left ;  the  forts  and  towers  shall  be  for  dens  for 
ever,  a  joy  of  wild  asses,  a  pasture  of  flocks.” 

This  Ophel  or  Ophla,  if  we  speak  of  it  as  an  edifice  built 
on  the  tongue  of  land  sometimes  known  by  the  same  name, 
served  as  a  place  of  refuge,  and,  together  with  the  archives, 
the  citadel,  and  the  town-house,  was  fired  at  the  time  of  the 
taking  of  the  lower  part  of  the  city  before  the  hostile  ranks 
of  the  Homans  succeeded  in  forcing  their  way  to  Zion  and 
the  upper  city. 

Following  these  data,  and  the  tortuous  course  of  the 
southern  wall  indicated  by  Josephus,  Krafft  differs  from  the 
most  of  his  predecessors,  and  agrees  with  Kobinson,  that  the 
present  southern  wall  followed  an  entirely  different  course 
from  the  ancient  one,  striking  the  temple  enclosure  not  at  el- 
Aksa,  but  at  its  south-east  corner,  and  turning  at  a  sharp 
angle  and  running  due  north,  forming  the  eastern  wall. 
Manasseh  completed  the  building  of  the  Ophel  works  in 
which  the  Nethinim,  i.e.  ci  outcasts,”  lived.  This  part  of  the 
city  was  made  over  to  the  “  hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of 
water/’  possibly  to  the  descendants  of  the  Gibeonites,  certainly 
to  all  vassals,  and  those  who  were  taken  captive  by  David 
and  other  kings.  The  eastern  and  southern  slope  of  Ophel 
became  a  place  of  the  greatest  importance  in  connection  with 
the  history  and  topography  of  Jerusalem,  since  close  by  it 
are  the  two  most  profuse  supplies  of  water, — the  wells  of 
Mary  and  of  Siloali. 

It  will  be  impossible  to  enter  into  a  special  description  of 

1  Schultz,  Jerusalem,  p.  59 ;  Williams,  Holy  City ,  ii.  p.  865,  Note  7. 

2  Krafft,  Topographic,  pp.  23,  118,  154. 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


49 


the  Tyropoeon,  the  so-called  valley  of  the  cheese-makers,  in 
the  course  of  this  examination  of  the  walls  which  pass  around 
the  city.  To  speak  of  the  original  character  of  this  place,  and 
the  changes  which  have  come  over  it  in  the  course  of  the 
repeated  construction  and  destruction  which  it  has  experienced, 
lies  outside  of  my  present  purpose.  According  to  Gadow’s 
expression,  the  southern  portion  of  Jerusalem,  thrusting  itself 
out  in  a  southerly  direction,  may  be  compared  to  a  peninsula, 
partially  cleft,  and  lying  between  two  deep  valleys.  The 
definiteness  which  the  mouth  of  the  Tyropoeon  displays  at  the 
place  of  its  junction  with  the  valley  of  Hinnom  is  confirmed 
by  all  observers  ;  but  regarding  the  commencement  of  this 
valley,  whether  it  is  in  the  west  or  in  the  north,  there  is  a 
great  and  still  unsettled  difference  of  views,  of  which  I  cannot 
speak  till  we  come  to  consider  the  northern  side  of  the  city. 
It  is  in  the  Tyropoeon  that  the  present  wall,  composed  as 
it  is  of  stones  of  all  forms,1  sizes,  and  ages,  displays  the 
many  changes  which  have  been  witnessed  during  the  long 
past.  It  is  surmounted  by  a  single  palm,  which  stands  upon 
a  high  terrace.  Westward,  towards  the  eastern  slope  of 
Mount  Zion,  is  the  gate  known  as  Bab  el  Mngharibeh,  i.e. 
the  African2  Gate.  By  the  crusaders,  Franks,  and  monks, 
it  is  known  as  the  Dung  Gate.  This  term  corresponds  by 
no  means  with  the  gate  of  the  same  name  in  the  wall 
erected  by  Nehemiah :  that  lay  outside  the  present  wall, 
somewhere  along  the  south  foot  of  Mount  Zion,  and  below 
the  garden  of  the  Armenian  Convent  (Nell.  iii.  14).3  In 
the  monkish  legends  it  is  confounded  with  a  position  farther 
north.  Both  probably  received  their  name  from  the  piles 
of  ordure  which  lay  outside.  The  gate  in  the  Tyropoeon  is 
at  present  closed,  in  consequence  of  the  disturbances  in 
modern  times.  The  explorer  can,  however,  climb  up  by 
means  of  steps  to  the  battlements  of  the  wall,  and  pass  over 
this  gate  to  the  quarter  of  Mount  Zion. 

1  Bartlett,  Walks,  etc.,  p.  17. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  238,  262. 

3  Ibid.  i.  p.  319  ;  Scliultz,  Jerusalem ,  p.  58 ;  Krafft,  Topog.  p.  151  ; 
v.  Schubert,  Reise ,  iii.  p.  544  ;  Gadow,  p.  44. 

YOL.  IV. 


D 


50 


PALESTINE. 


The  portion  of  the  city  before  the  Bab  el  Mugharibeli  is 
at  the  present  time  covered  with  heaps  of  rubbish  thirty  or 
forty  feet  high,  overgrown  with  a  prickly  and  unapproachable 
hedge  of  cactus,  which  in  the  very  lowest  places  is  higher 
than  the  neighbouring  garden  of  el-Aksa.  From  this  cause, 
— as  well  as  from  the  refusal  of  permission  to  wander  freely 
over  this  tract  at  the  south-west  corner  of  the  Haram,  and 
from  the  existence  there  of  the  miserable  Turkish  quarter, 
stretching  southward  into  the  hollow  between  Zion  and 
Moriah,  and  clustered  in  narrow  streets  around  the  Mosque 
el  Mugharibeli,  from  which  the  vicinity  and  the  gate  take 
their  name,  Hareth  el  Mugharibeli  or  African  Quarter,  and 
Bab  el  Mugharibeli  or  African  Gate, — this  part  of  the  city 
is  examined  with  much  more  difficulty  than  other  parts.  All 
the  houses  built  in  that  quarter  stand  on  ground  which 
belongs  to  the  Mohammedan  schools  of  the  adjoining  Haram, 
and  which  is  leased  to  the  occupants ;  a  circumstance  which 
accounts  for  the  want  of  any  regular  streets  and  edifices  of 
value.  This  abandoned  quarter,  in  consequence  of  its  near¬ 
ness  to  the  Haram,  has  been  called  the  quarter  of  the  black 
watchmen  of  the  Haram,  and  carried  Gadow’s  thoughts  back 
to  the  Nethinim,  the  servants  of  the  ancient  temple,  who 
had  their  dwellings  in  this  neighbourhood  in  the  time  of 
Solomon  and  of  Nehemiah.  Through  narrow  and  crooked 
streets  of  the  African  quarter,  the  wanderer  finds  his  way 
eastward,  until  he  comes  out  upon  the  place  already  referred 
to,  where  are  still  seen  the  titanic  stones  which  date  back  to 
the  time  of  Solomon.1  The  spot  is  now  known  as  el-Ebra, 
or  the  Jews’  Wailing  Place,  and  has  been  repeatedly  repre¬ 
sented  in  pictures.  It  lies  a  hundred  paces  north  of  the 
remains  of  the  colossal  arch  discovered  by  Bobinson.  The 
Jews  visit  it  every  Friday  to  offer  up  their  prayers.  They 
bend  themselves  to  the  earth,  and  lament  the  fate  of  the 
nation,  in  the  very  scene  where  that  nation’s  existence  passed 
away,  and  where  their  ancestors  poured  out  their  blood.  It 
is  well  known  that,  at  the  time  of  their  insurrection  under 

1  Krafft,  Topographic ,  p.  113 ;  Bartlett,  Walks,  p.  140,  Tab.  xix. ; 
Itobinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  237,  238. 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


51 


Hadrian,  they  were  driven  from  the  city ;  under  Constantine 
they  were  permitted  to  approach  near  enough  to  view  the 
spot  where  their  sacred  temple  once  stood ;  and  at  last  it  was 
permitted  to  them,  in  consideration  of  the  payment  of  money, 
to  come  once  a  year  into  the  city,  on  the  day  which  com¬ 
memorated  the  sacking  of  the  city  by  Titus. 

In  the  twelfth  century,  in  Benjamin  of  Tudela’s  time,1  the 
place  now  frequented  was  the  usual  spot  where  the  Jews  met 
to  pray.  They  held  that  it  was  the  vestibule  of  the  Holy  of 
holies  in  the  ancient  temple ;  and  they  have  continued  to 
keep  the  place  under  their  control  up  to  the  present  day,  by 
making  continual  sacrifices  to  the  Turkish  Government.  The 
olace  is  not  much  exposed  to  the  view  of  the  fanatical  Moslems, 
and  in  its  secluded  neighbourhood  Bartlett  found  old  grey¬ 
headed  Jews  reading  their  prayer-books,  and  the  women  clad 
in  long  veils  walking  alongside  the  walls,  kissing  the  stones, 
looking  through  the  chinks,  and  repeating  their  prayers  with 
great  devotion ;  but  he  perceived  no  weeping  and  wailing. 
On  the  contrary,  the  people,  though  sunk  in  poverty  almost 
to  the  extent  of  needing  to  beg  alms,  seemed  to  pride  them¬ 
selves,  as  of  old,  upon  their  being  a  chosen  race.  South  of 
this  wrailing  place  there  is,  according  to  Gadow,  a  narrow 
street  or  lane  leading  up  a  steep  ascent  to  the  Haram ;  be¬ 
tween  this  and  the  ruin  of  Bobinson’s  broken  arch  there  is  a 
stairway  of  eighteen  or  twenty  steps  leading  to  the  court  of 
the  el-Mugharibeh  mosque,  which  lies  within  the  circuit  of 
the  Haram,  and  on  a  level  with  the  enclosure.  Only  from 
this  one  place  on  the  west  side  can  it  be  now  seen  that  Moriah 
is  strictly  called  a  mount.  Gadow,  on  attempting  to  ascend 
this  staircase,  was  driven  back  with  vile  epithets ;  but  Tobler 
was  able  in  1846  to  make  some  valuable  observations,  which 
will  be  spoken  of  on  a  subsequent  page. 

We  now  leave  the  closed  Africans  Gate  (Bab  el  Mugha- 
ribeh),  the  Dung  Gate  of  the  pilgrims’  legends,  and  leaving 
the  Tyropoeon,  pass  westward.  After  a  short  distance  our 
course  is  checked  by  the  steep  ascent  leading  to  Mount  Zion. 

1  The  Itinerary  of  Rabbi  Benjamin  of  Tudela,  vol.  i.  p.  70 ;  Bartlett, 
Walks,  p.  130. 


52 


PALESTINE. 


Kobinson  estimated1  the  bold  escarpment  which  faces  the 
south-west  corner  of  the  temple  enclosure  to  be  from  twenty 
to  thirty  feet  high :  he  found  it  in  the  same  condition  in 
which  it  had  been  left,  it  would  seem,  at  J osephus’  time  ;  but 
the  adjacent  valley  was  well-nigh  filled  with  rubbish. 

Over  the  high  ridge  of  Zion,  nearly  2500  feet  in  width, 
and  close  by  the  beginning  of  its  southern  declivity,  the  pre¬ 
sent  wall  runs  in  a  zig-zag  course,  making  many  angles 
towards  the  south-west.  At  length  it  turns  at  a  sharp  corner, 
and  pursues  a  direct  course  northward. 

This  wall,  wholly  of  Saracenic  construction,  compared  by 
Bartlett  with  those  which  surround  some  of  the  old  cities  of 
England — York,  for  example — passes  from  the  Tyropoeon 
straight  up  the  steep  wall2  of  Mount  Zion,  whose  top,  at  the 
time  of  the  taking  of  the  city  by  Titus,  was  covered  with 
houses,  and  formed  one  quarter  of  Jerusalem.  At  the  time 
of  Josephus  the  wall  appears  not  to  have  crossed  the  highest 
part  of  the  mount,  but  to  have  passed  around  its  base.  The 
south-east  slope  of  Zion,  down  which  there  was,  both  at  the 
time  of  Nehemiah  (iii.  15)  and  of  Josephus,3  a  flight  of  steps 
leading  from  the  u  city  of  David,”  as  well  as  the  south-west 
slope  down  which  another  flight  led  to  the  Birket  es  Sultan 
of  the  Arabs,  the  Lower  Pool  of  Gihon,  according  to  the 
usual  designation,4  was  more  gentle  and  rounding  than  that 
which  lay  west  of  the  Yalley  of  Gihon  and  south  of  the 
Valley  of  Hinnom.  The  deeper  the  later  ravine  sinks  in  its 
eastward  course,  the  more  bold  and  precipitous  becomes  the 
southern  slope,  with  its  wave-like  knolls,  between  which  winds 
the  aqueduct  from  Bethlehem,  sometimes  called  the  Aqueduct 
of  Pilate.  The  whole  exterior  part  of  Zion,  where  it  rises 
from  the  valley,  bears  the  impress  of  being  formed  by  an 
accumulation  of  rubbish.  At  its  bare  eastern  base  may  be 
seen  an  oval  cistern,  not  narrowed  at  the  top  as  they  usually 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  231,  264. 

2  Bartlett,  Walks,  etc.,  pp.  15,  17-22,  Tab.  i. ;  also  frontispiece  to 
Bartlett  and  Bourne,  Modern  Jerusalem. 

3  Krafft,  Topographie ,  pp.  61,  152. 

4  Gadow,  i.a.l.  iii.  p.  40. 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


53 


are  found,  but  covered  with  terra  cotta :  of  it  only  half  is 
preserved.  South-west  of  it  there  is  a  spacious  room  hewn 
out  of  the  rock :  its  length  is  forty  feet.  On  Symonds’  plan 
of  the  city  it  is  designated  as  the  Cave  of  St  Peter.  At  the 
west  foot  of  the  mount,  and  near  the  south-east  corner  of  the 
Birket  es  Sultan,  there  is  the  ruin  of  a  structure  of  doubtful 
use,  partly  hewn  out  of  the  rock  and  partly  made  of  masonry : 
it  is  connected  with  some  ancient  cisterns  which  are  called 
on  Symonds’ plan  the  Bath  of  Tiberius  (Hammam  Tabariyeh),1 
but  have  been  designated  by  Tobler  as  Bir  el  Jehudi,  and 
also  the  Palace  of  David.  A  little  farther  north,  and  on  the 
west  slope  of  Zion,  directly  above  the  Aqueduct  of  Pilate, 
which  crosses  the  valley  on  low  arches,2  there  is  another 
fragment  of  old  masonry,  forming  a  narrow  wall,  which  passes 
round  the  whole  southern  extremity  of  the  mountain,  and 
comes  to  its  termination  at  the  city  wall,  where  it  crosses  the 
Tyropoeon.  The  whole  side  which  slopes  towards  the  Valley 
of  Hinnom  is  traversed  by  several  footpaths,  which  wind  up 
to  the  Zion  Gate,  the  southern  entrance  to  the  city.  This 
slope  is  dotted  with  clusters  of  olive  trees,  which  have  secured 
for  themselves  a  footing  at  the  various  landings ;  and  here 
and  there  is  space  enough  for  a  bit  of  land  to  be  cul¬ 
tivated.  Towards  the  east  there  are  few  traces  of  former 
habitation ;  but  on  the  south-west  side  of  the  so-called  Nebi 
Daud,  as  far  as  to  the  Hammam  Tabariyeh,  Schultz3  found 
umnistakeable  traces  of  former  masonry  and  connected  cis¬ 
terns,  showing  beyond  a  doubt  the  site  of  the  ancient  wall 
of  the  city  of  David.  Near  the  Hammam  Tabariyeh  must 
be  sought  the  location  of  the  Dung  Gate  and  the  Valley 
Gate  mentioned  in  Nell.  iii.  13,  14.  In  that  neighbourhood 
Gadow4  observed  two  immense  piles  of  rubbish,  of  great 
antiquity,  which  rise  like  artificial  walls,  and  which  seem  to 
have  some  connection  with  a  former  investment  of  the  city. 
The  complete  disappearance  of  the  dwellings  of  man  from 

1  Schultz,  Jerusalem ,  p.  27. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  264. 

8  Schultz,  Jerusalem ,  p.  58 ;  Kraflt,  Topographie ,  p.  151. 

4  Gadow,  i.a.l.  iii.  p.  41. 


54 


PALESTINE. 


this  part  of  the  city,  the  quarter  anciently  known  as  the  city 
of  David,  is  one  of  the  inexplicable  phenomena  connected 
with  this  place  of  wonders.  The  top  of  Mount  Zion  is  a 
large  plateau,  excluded  from  the  city  by  the  present  wall.  In 
its  centre  stands  the  Nebi  Daud,  or  the  Grave  of  David,  the 
possession  of  which  is  in  the  hands  of  the  Mohammedans.  A 
little  farther  north,  near  the  wall,  is  the  Armenian  church, 
with  the  house  of  Caiaphas;  and  between  the  two  is  the 
place  which  the  monks  point  out  to  credulous  pilgrims 
as  the  spot  where  the  cock  crowed,  and  where  Peter  wept. 
The  Armenian  church  stands  almost  due  south-west  of  the 
Zion  Gate :  west,  south-west,  and  south  of  the  church  are 
the  graves1  of  Christians,  each  denomination  lying  by  itself, 
— the  Armenians  next  to  their  sanctuary,  at  the  south  the 
Greeks,  in  the  middle  the  Latins.  South  of  the  Nebi  Daud 
is  the  spot  connected  with  the  new  bishopric,  and  consecrated 
by  Bishop  Gobat.  This  is  surrounded  by  a  wall.  As  Strauss 
says,2  Mount  Zion  has  become  a  resting-place  for  the  dead. 
Footpaths  lead  obliquely  down  the  mountain-side  to  the 
Valley  of  Hinnom;  but  there  is  no  road  which  connects  the 
southern  gate  of  Jerusalem  with  the  adjacent  country.3 

This  Nebi  Daud,  with  a  mosque  and  the  adjacent  Arme¬ 
nian  church,  occupies  one  of  the  most  memorable  localities  in 
ancient 4  Jewish  history ;  yet  it  is  probable  that  its  present 
appearance  gives  us  little  token  of  what  it  was  at  the  time  of 
David,  so  much  has  it  been  changed  during  the  lapse  of  cen¬ 
turies.  At  the  time  of  Robinson’s5  visit,  Ibrahim  Pasha  had 
erected  his  dwelling  there.  The  mosque,  which  is  the  object 
of  Moslem  pilgrimages,  and  the  reputed  grave  of  David,  also 
in  the  possession  of  the  Mohammedans,  are  not  accessible  to 
Christians,  and  we  have  but  partial  descriptions  of  them. 
The  monks’  legends  tell  us,  that  over  the  grave  of  David 
is  the  apartment  used  for  the  first  celebration  of  the  Lord’s 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  228. 

2  F.  A.  Strauss,  Sinai  und  Golgotha ,  p.  250. 

3  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  19. 

4  Krafft,  Topographic ,  p.  168. 

6  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  241,  243,  262. 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


55 


Supper;  but  regarding  it  we  know  nothing  further.  There 
is  a  large  stone  hall,  fifty  or  sixty  feet  long,  and  thirty 
broad,  furnished  with  an  altar,  where  Christians  repeat  their 
prayers,  and  sometimes  celebrate  mass :  near  it  is  a  second 
and  larger  apartment,  in  which  the  Mohammedans  go  through 
their  devotions.  The  building  was  once  a  Christian  church. 
It  is  called  by  Cyril  in  the  fourth  century  the  Church  of  the 
Apostles,  and  at  that  time  was  held  to  be  older  than  the 
buildings  of  Constantine.  The  Itinerar.  Hierosol .,  written  in 
333,  designates  it  as  the  house  of  Caiaphas,1  and  states  that 
at  that  time  the  Pillar  of  Scourging  stood  at  its  gate.  From 
this  circumstance,  Tobler  supposes  that  the  oldest  Via  Do¬ 
lorosa  ran  from  Zion  northward  to  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  and 
not  from  the  present  Chapel  of  Scourging,  near  the  seraglio 
of  the  governor,  westward.  In  opposition  to  a  former  view, 
which  Tobler  considers  the  one  held  by  the  crusaders, 
Krafft 2  asks  whether  the  official  residence  of  the  high  priest, 
where  the  Sanhedrim  met,  is  not  rather  to  be  looked  for  in 
the  north-east  of  the  temple  enclosure,  near  the  Roman 
Palatium  of  Pilate,  which  was  unquestionably  on  the  highest 
part  of  Akra,  and  coincident  with  the  ancient  Antonia,  and 
the  present  seraglio  of  the  Turkish  governor.  According  to 
this,  the  ancient  Via  Dolorosa  would  coincide  with  the  one 
now  visited  by  pilgrims,  running  from  east  to  west.  Accord¬ 
ing  to  Robinson’s  researches,3  we  are  indebted  to  Marinus 
Sanutus  for  the  first  full  description  of  the  Via  Dolorosa,  and 
for  the  prominence  which  it  has  received  as  the  object  of 
pilgrimages. 

During;  the  middle  ages,  the  above-mentioned  Church  of 
the  Apostles  was  called  the  Coenaculum,  and  the  legends 
attribute  to  it  all  kinds  of  remarkable  attributes.  During 
the  time  of  the  crusaders,  a  Franciscan  convent  was  built 
here.  From  Maundeville  and  De  Suchem  we  learn  that  at 
their  time  this  church  was  still  in  the  possession  of  Latin 

1  Itin.  Burdig.  ed.  Parthey,  p.  279 ;  Tobler,  in  Ausland,  1848,  No. 
21,  pp.  71-82. 

-  Krafft,  Topog.  pp.  63,  165,  166. 

3  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  233,  252. 


56 


PALESTINE. 


monks.  A  hundred  years  later,  H.  Tucher  of  Nuremberg 
found  it  transformed  into  a  mosque.  For  a  century  a 
Minorite  convent  was  established  in  the  lower  storey,  but  in 
1561  it  was  dispossessed,  and  purchased  the  present  Latin 
Convent  of  St  Salvadore  at  the  north-western  corner  of  the 
city,  in  which  most  pilgrims  find  reception. 

The  little  Armenian  church,  which  lies  a  short  distance 
north  of  Nebi  Daud,  is  said  to  occupy  the  site  of  the  house  of 
Caiaphas  the  high  priest :  in  its  court  may  be  seen  the  burial- 
places  of  the  Armenian  patriarchs  of  Jerusalem;  and  many 
legends  are  connected  with  the  spot.  There  seems,  however, 
to  be  nothing  authentic  connected  with  the  place  that  is 
older  than  the  fourteenth  century.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
statements  which  locate  the  grave  of  David  there  are  of  the 
greatest  antiquity  ;  and  there  is  no  reason  for  doubting  that 
in  this  very  place,  on  the  top  of  the  mountain,  and  in  the 
centre  of  the  city  known  by  his  own  name,  and  within  the 
wall  known  to  have  encompassed  it,  the  bones  of  the  great 
singer  king  were  interred.  We  have  the  express  statement 
in  1  Kings  ii.  10,  u  So  David  slept  with  his  fathers,  and  was 
buried  in  the  city  of  David.”  In  like  manner,  Solomon,1 
Kehoboam,  Abiah,  Asa,  Jehoshaphat,  Ahaziah,  Amaziali, 
Jotham,  and  Josiah,  were  all  buried  in  the  royal  vaults  ;  and 
up  to  the  time  of  Josephus  the  spot  was  called  the  graves  of 
David,  of  the  sons  of  David,  of  the  kings  of  Judah,  or  simply 
of  the  kings.  Every  one  has  his  own  special  vault.  Those 
who  died  of  unclean  diseases,  like  Jehoram,  Joash,  and 
XJzziah,  were  buried,  not  with  their  fathers,  but  in  an  adjoin¬ 
ing  field ;  while  the  idolatrous  Ahaz  was  laid  in  the  suburbs 
of  the  city,  away  from  the  bones  of  his  ancestors  (2  Chron. 
xxviii.  27).  Of  the  priest  Jehoiada  we  are  told  (2  Chron. 
xxiv.  16),  that  “  they  buried  him  in  the  city  of  David  among 
the  kings,  because  he  had  done  good  in  Israel,  both  toward 
God  and  toward  his  house.”  At  the  first  conquest  of  Jeru¬ 
salem,  effected  by  Nebuchadnezzar  b.c.  588,  the  kings’ 
graves  were  not  disturbed,  since  Nehemiah  speaks  (iii.  15, 16) 
of  the  steps  leading  up  from  the  valley  to  the  city  of  David 
1  Krafft,  Topogrctphie,  pp.  205-211. 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


hi 


at  the  time  of  the  rebuilding  of  the  wall.  This  serves  as  a 
landmark  to  us  in  locating  the  wall,  and  is  referred  to  by 
Josephus.1  The  reason  that  the  tombs  of  the  kings  wrere 
spared  does  not  appear,  since  it  would  seem  natural  that  the 
treasures  which  used  to  be  buried  with  them  would  have 
proved  a  strong  temptation ;  but  it  may  be  that  the  graves, 
like  those  of  the  Egyptian  kings  at  Thebes,  passed  unnoticed. 
They  were  also  unknown  to  the  Syrian  and  Babylonian  con¬ 
querors  ;  for,  according  to  Josephus,  it  was  the  high  priest 
Hyrcanus,  son  and  successor  of  Simon  Maccabaeus,  who,  in 
order  to  effect  the  raising  of  the  siege,  plundered  the  graves 
of  the  kings,  and  took  from  that  of  David  alone  3000  talents, 
or  more  than  half  a  million  of  pounds  sterling,  using  the 
money  to  bribe  the  enemy  to  withdraw.  Herod  the  Great 
followed  his  example,  but  committed  his  robberies  by  night, 
lie  found  no  money,  however,  only  articles  of  royal  adornment 
and  jeAvels  ;  and  when  he  tried  to  press  farther  in  and  reach 
the  graves  of  David  and  Solomon,  there  broke  forth  a  flame 
which  caused  the  death  of  two  of  his  followers,  and  caused  him 
to  desist  from  his  sacrilegious  attempt.  (May  not  the  collected 
gases  have  kindled  on  being  touched  with  fire  ?)  In  order 
to  atone  for  the  deed,  he  erected  a  costly  marble  monument 
close  by.  Josephus  informs  us  that  neither  Hyrcanus  nor 
Herod  went  so  far  as  to  the  coffins  themselves,  but  that  they 
were  kept  back  by  a  mechanical  contrivance  which  prevented 
any  one  from  going  beyond  a  certain  point.  lie  gives  no 
further  particulars ;  but  it  would  seem  that  some  such  appli¬ 
ances  were  used  as  those  found  at  Gadara  in  the  ancient 
Ilauran,  where  traces  of  swinging  doors  are  discovered. 
Remains  of  the  same  are  also  seen  in  the  tomb  of  Helena, 
north  of  Jerusalem. 

From  the  words  of  Peter  concerning  the  outpouring  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  (Acts  ii.  29,  “  Let  me  freely  speak  unto  you 
of  the  patriarch  David,  that  he  is  both  dead  and  buried,  and 
his  sepulchre  is  with  us  unto  this  day”),  it  is  plain  that  there 
was  then  universal  agreement  regarding  the  grave  of  the 
shepherd-king.  Otto  Thenius  and  Krafft  have  shown,  from 
1  Krafft,  Topographic,  p.  152. 


53 


PALESTINE. 


the  legends  of  subsequent  centuries,  that  the  account  of  these 
graves  is  covered  with  obscurity,  but  that  thus  much  is  certain, 
that  the  graves  of  the  ancient  Jewish  monarehs  must  be 
sought,  if  not  directly  beneath  the  Coenaculum,  at  least  in  its 
neighbourhood,  and  on  the  summit  of  Mount  Zion. 

Passing  from  the  outside  of  the  wall  through  the  gate 
into  the  city,  at  the  right  lies  the  Jews’  quarter,  full  of 
dirt1  and  filth,  displaying  the  greatest  poverty  and  the  lowest 
social  condition,  full  of  crooked  lanes  and  piles  of  rubbish, 
and  displaying  a  single  great  building — the  synagogue  of  the 
Sephardim.  The  most  of  the  houses  in  the  Jews’  quarter 
stand  upon  the  slope  that  descends  eastward  to  the  Tyropceon. 
Close  to  the  Zion  gate,  and  at  the  right  hand,  are  the 
pitiable  hovels  of  the  lepers  ;  on  the  left  hand  is  the  Chris¬ 
tian  quarter,  TXareth  el  Nussarah,  extending  to  the  Armenian 
Convent  and  its  garden,  and  embracing  the  neighbouring 
small  convent,  Deir  el  Zeituneh,  belonging  to  the  Jacobite 
Syrians  and  Armenian  Christians,  both  being  frequently  called 
Monophysites.  This  spot,  lying  at  the  culmination  of  Mount 
Zion,  affords  the  best  view  of  the  south  of  Jerusalem.  A  con¬ 
fused  picture  it  is,  as  one  looks  towards  the  Jews’  quarter,  and 
the  eye  wanders  over  so  many  perished  walls,  so  much  rubbish 
and  ruin ;  and  the  mind  is  filled  with  sadness  and  gloomy 
thoughts  as  it  traces  the  history  of  this  once  famous  city. 
What  a  change  since  the  time  when  Jehovah  had  His  throne 
there,  and  inspired  the  words  of  Ps.  xlviii.  11-15:  “Let 
Mount  Zion  rejoice,  let  the  daughters  of  Judah  be  glad,  because 
of  Thy  judgments.  Walk  about  Zion,  and  go  round  about 
her  :  tell  the  towers  thereof.  Mark  ye  well  her  bulwarks, 
consider  her  palaces  ;  that  ye  may  tell  it  to  the  generation 
following.  For  this  God  is  our  God  for  ever  and  ever:  He 
will  be  our  guide  even  unto  death.”  But  how  soon  was  this 
proud  Jerusalem,  as  Micah  the  Morastlnte  prophesied  (Jer. 
xxvi.  18),  compelled  to  become  heaps  of  stones,  and  Zion  a 
ploughed  field  !  (Micah  iii.  12.) 

The  pitiful  hovels  close  by  the  gate  first  attract  attention. 
They  stand  behind  hedges  of  thorn,  prickly  cactus  plants,  and 
1  Bartlett,  Walks ,  etc.,  p.  80. 


CIRCUIT  OF  TIIE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


59 


rubbish,  and  are  only  inhabited  by  a  class  of  people  who  are 
called  lepers.  Whether  their  disease  was  the  leprosy  of  the 
Bible,  or  some  other,  Bobinson  could  not  judge :  its  symp¬ 
toms  seemed  to  him  to  agree  with  those  of  elephantiasis.  At 
all  events,  they  are  miserable  creatures,1  pitiful  outcasts  from 
society,  marrying  and  perpetuating  their  disease  among  their 
children,  who  grow  up  to  manhood  with  the  appearance  of 
health,  when  the  disease  suddenly  breaks  out,  and  they 
seldom  outlive  their  fortieth  or  fiftieth  year.  Tobler,2  who 
devoted  a  great  deal  of  attention  to  these  unfortunate  crea¬ 
tures,  terms  their  hovels  Biut  el  Masakin,  i.e.  huts  of  the 
lepers.  He  found  sixteen  of  these  pitiful  structures  inhabited 
by  about  thirty  persons.  They  were  mostly  supported  by 
alms  and  casual  gifts,  and  were  under  the  supervision  of  a 
sheikh  who  had  the  disease  himself.  Although  outside  of 
these  people  the  complaint  is  known  among  the  Jews  and 
Mohammedans  of  the  city,  yet,  according  to  Tobler,  it  does 
not  spread  ;  and  the  hovels  at  the  Zion  gate  serve  not  only 
for  the  lepers  of  the  city,  but  those  of  the  neighbourhood  of 
Jerusalem.  The  Byzantines,  as  early  as  the  time  of  the 
Empress  Euclocia,  contributed  to  the  sustenance  of  the  poor 
lepers  there:  in  like  manner  did  the  Franks  during  the 
Crusades,  caring  also  for  the  unfortunate  creatures  similarly 
afflicted  at  Damascus  and  at  Jaffa.  The  Turkish  Government 
is,  however,  entirely  indifferent  to  their  distress,  and  offers  no 
help  to  temper  their  misery,  despite  the  numerous  examples 
which  Europeans,  both  Christians  and  Jews,;J  have  set  before 
them  in  this  thing. 

3.  The  Western  Wall  from  the  south-west  corner  northward  to 
the  Latin  Convent  St  Salvador  and  Kasr  Jalud. 

Only  the  northern  portion  of  Mount  Zion  is  comprised 
within  the  modern  wall,  and  this  portion  is  mainly  taken  up 
by  the  Jewish  quarter  and  the  great  Armenian  Convent  at 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  243  ;  Bartlett,  Walks,  p.  75. 

2  Ausland,  1844,  No.  115,  pp.  459,  460. 

3  Tobler,  iiber  Aertzte ,  Apothekcn  und  RrankenJiauser  in  Jerusalem , 

Nos.  114,  115. 


60 


PALESTINE. 


the  south-west  corner  of  the  city.  Viewed  from  the  lower 
Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  this  part  of  the  mountain,1  in  conse¬ 
quence  of  its  steep  descent  to  the  deep  Hinnom  valley,  seems 
the  highest  point  of  Jerusalem.  Robinson  estimates  the  height 
of  the  summit  of  Zion  as  three  hundred  feet  above  the  lowest 
point  in  the  valley  just  mentioned.  But  far  less  does  its 
height  appear  viewed  from  the  upper  part  of  the  Valley  of 
Gilion ;  and  still  farther  north,  Zion  is  considerably  over¬ 
topped  by  the  Latin  Convent.  The  northern  portion  of 
the  mountain  is  so  covered  with  walls  and  edifices,  that 
it  is  difficult  to  determine  its  original  extent.  Robinson 
defined  its  northern  border  as  a  line  running  south  of  the 
street  leading  from  the  Jaffa  gate  directly  eastward,  and  con¬ 
siders  the  depression  occupied  by  this  street  as  the  primitive 
location  of  the  ancient  Tyropoeon,  which,  in  his  view,  ran 
around  the  northern  foot  of  Mount  Zion,  and  then  turning 
in  a  right  angle  toward  the  south,  took  its  course  toward 
the  Valley  of  Hinnom.  More  recent  topographers  dispute 
this  point,  and  consider  the  street  running  eastward  from 
the  Jaffa  gate  to  be  no  primitive  valley,  but  hold  that  the 
Tyropoeon  extended  due  north  through  the  heart  of  the  city 
as  far  as  the  Damascus  gate.  This  difference  lies  at  the 
foundation  of  the  great  discussion  which  has  arisen  in  the 
effort  to  interpret  Josephus’  description  of  the  localities  in 
this  city  at  the  time  of  its  capture  by  Titus.  Robinson 
adduces  as  the  main  support  of  his  theory,  the  fact  that,  if 
one  looks  southward  at  any  point  along  the  street  running 
eastward  from  the  Jaffa  gate,  his  eye  meets  a  steep  though 
not  a  high  slope,  upon  whose  rim  it  is  possible  to  overlook  the 
roofs  of  all  the  houses  that  occupy  that  pitiful  depression. 
Krafft  says,2  in  this  connection,  that  the  northern  edge  of 
Zion  runs  parallel  with  the  street  leading  eastward  from  the 
Jaffa  gate  to  the  Haram  ;  and  that  it  is  sensibly  elevated 
above  the  almost  contiguous  terrace  of  the  elevation  on  which 
the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  stands.  He  says  that  no 
valley  begins  here,  and  that  Robinson  only  meant  that  the 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Researches ,  i.  p.  264. 

2  Krafft,  Topographie ,  p.  4  ;  Schultz,  Jerusalem,  p.  54. 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


61 


east  side  of  Zion  rises  steeply  above  the  depression  which 
runs  through  the  whole  city  from  the  Damascus  gate  at  the 
north  to  below  Ain  Silwan  (Siloah),  that  is,  the  Tyropoeon, 
where  it  joins  the  Valley  of  Ben  Hinnom.  Robinson  him¬ 
self  noticed  that  the  cross  valley  along  the  north  foot  of 
Mount  Zion,  which  he  held  to  be  the  upper  Tyropoeon,  had 
for  eighteen  hundred  years  been  filled  with  rubbish,  yet  he 
believed1  he  could  trace  its  primitive  course.  That  the  mass 
of  houses  and  the  accumulation  of  so  many  ages  have  made 
investigations  there  extremely  difficult,  is  self-evident ;  and  on 
this  account  the  greater  credit  is  to  be  given  to  the  labours 
of  a  recent  observer,2  the  impartial  Wolff,  whose  efforts  in 
tracing  the  ancient  localities  within  the  city  have  been 
thorough  beyond  all  precedent.  A  remark  made  by  him 
seems  to  me  strictly  just,  that  before  we  attain  to  certainty 
regarding  the  topography  of  ancient  Jerusalem,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  make  surveys  and  excavations  in  far  greater 
measure  than  has  thus  far  been  done.  Von  Wildenbruch,3 
together  with  Wolcott  the  missionary  and  Johns  the  archi¬ 
tect,  while  preparing  for  the  foundation  of  the  new  evangelical 
church,  have  discovered  the  remains  of  aqueducts  forty  feet 
below  the  present  surface.  These  remains  bear  in  their 
workmanship  the  traces  of  the  greatest  antiquity.  In  reach¬ 
ing  them,  the  excavators  passed  first  through  ten  feet  of 
earth,  then  through  ten  feet  of  rubbish,  then  through  ten 
feet  more  of  earth,  and  lastly  through  ten  feet  more  of  archi¬ 
tectural  remains, — circumstances  which  must  make  us  cautious 
against  too  hastily  adopting  theories  drawn  from  the  present 
appearance  of  the  surface. 

Waving  the  discussion  of  these  points  for  the  present,  we 
turn  back  to  the  southern  portion  of  Mount  Zion,  whose  gate 
is  formed  by  a  stately  square  tower,  although,  unlike  the 
Jaffa  gate,  no  road  passes  through  it  to  the  adjacent  country. 
The  greater  portion  of  the  western  part  of  Mount  Zion  from 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  281. 

2  Dr  Phil.  Wolff,  Reise  in  das  Gelobte  Land ,  p.  74. 

3  Yon  Wildenbruch,  in  Monatsber.  der  Berl.  Gen  fir.  Ges.  Pt.  iv. 
p.  143. 


62 


PALESTINE. 


the  gate  to  the  south-west  angle  of  the  wall  is  occupied  by 
the  Armenian  Convent,  whose  size  is  so  great  that  it  is  able 
to  accommodate  from  two  to  three  thousand  pilgrims  at  a 
time.  It  is  the  only  one  in  Jerusalem  whose  appearance  can 
be  called  stately ;  it  is  supplied  with  a  good  facade,  is  well 
paved  around,  and  partly  hid  by  tine  trees :  and  the  well- 
conditioned  monks  give  proof,  says  Bartlett,1  that  they  live  in 
peace  with  themselves  and  the  world.  Guests  of  position  are 
entertained  in  accordance  with  their  rank,  but  those  who  are 
held  in  less  consideration  are  received  into  the  Latin  Convent. 
A  massive  gateway  leads  to  the  spacious  court  of  the  Armenian 
Convent,  which  is  kept  very  neatly,  and  surrounded  by  pic¬ 
turesque  edifices. 

The  Armenians  are  the  most  prominent  religious  sect  in 
Jerusalem,  and  through  their  industry  they  have  acquired 
considerable  wealth.  Their  convent,  which  is  named  after 
St  J ames,  because  he  is  believed  to  have  been  beheaded  here 
by  Herod,  receives  liberal  donations  from  believers  in  foreign 
lands :  their  church  is  profusely  decorated,  and  their  gardens, 
which  surround  the  whole  building,  are  filled  with  rare  trees, 
and  afford  a  fine  view  towards  the  west,  south,  and  east. 
The  spot  is  one  of  the  most  lovely  in  all  Syria.  At  Easter 
the  richest  and  most  crowded  bazaar  in  the  city  calls  to¬ 
gether  Armenian  pilgrims  in  crowds  from  all  provinces  of  the 
Turkish  Empire. 

The  western  wall  of  the  city,  with  its  many  projecting 
bastions,  called  Abraj  Ghuzeh,  i.e.  the  Towers  of  Gaza,  runs 
directly  north  and  south,  and  lifts  its  head  directly  above  the 
adjacent  west  valley  of  Gihon,  passing  the  modern  Turkish 
barracks,  and  ariving  at  length  at  the  great  fortress  of  the 
city,  el-Kalah,  or  the  Castle  of  David.  This,  with  its  nume¬ 
rous  towers,  one  of  them  the  well-known  Hippicus,  occupies 
a  conspicuous  position.  It  seems  to  date  from  the  period2 
of  the  occupation  by  the  Romans,  who  would  scarcely  have 
overlooked  a  situation  so  favourable  for  the  purposes  of  for_ 

1  Bartlett,  Walks  about  the  City ,  p.  78  ;  Olin,  Travels ,  vol.  ii.  pp. 
804-306. 

2  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  i.  p.  432. 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


63 


tification.  The  preparation  had  already  been  made  by  Herod, 
and  Titus  wished  to  retain  the  old  fort  as  a  trophy  of  his 
victory. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  citadel,  and  directly  adjacent, 
the  wall  is  broken  by  the  Jaffa  gate,  called  also  by  pilgrims 
the  Bethlehem  gate,  because  here  the  two  roads  meet,  one  of 
which  runs  southward  to  Bethlehem,  and  the  other  westward 
to  Jaffa.  Outside  of  the  gate  the  roads  part,  and  there  is 
frequently  to  be  seen  the  meeting  of  pilgrims,  monks,  and 
pedestrians,  receiving  the  greeting  of  their  friends  who  have 
come  out  of  the  city  to  welcome  them.  This  Bab  el  Chalil,1  as 
it  is  called  by  the  Arabs,  or  Hebron  gate,  is  a  massive  square 
structure,  to  which  access  is  given  on  the  east;  but  within 
there  is  a  sharp  angle,  and  the  exit  is  towards  the  north. 
According  to  an  Arabic  inscription  over  the  entrance,  the 
present  walls  of  the  citadel  were  erected  by  commaud  of 
Sultan  Suleiman  in  1542.  They  appear  to  take  the  place  of 
the  walls  of  the  middle  ages,  which  were  destroyed  several 
times  during  the  Crusades,  but  always  rebuilt.  On  this 
side  of  the  city  the  re-erection  could  scarcely  be  effected  at 
any  other  place  than  the  one  which  is  occupied,  and  the  old 
materials  have  doubtless  been  used  in  making  the  new  wTalls. 
So  secure  did  the  position  seem  in  the  earliest  times,  that  the 
Jebusites,  the  first  possessors  of  whom  we  have  record,  defied 
David  with  scorn  when  he  came  up  against  their  stronghold  : 
“  Thou  wilt  not  come  in  hither  ;  the  blind  and  lame  shall 
drive  thee  back”  2  (2  Sam.  v.  6-9  ;  1  Chron.  xi.  5-8).  Here 
David  subsequently  took  up  his  residence,  called  it  after  his 
own  name,  surrounded  it  with  bastions,  and  gradually  enlarged 
its  size. 

The  exact  position  of  the  fort  called  Millo 3  is  not  given 
in  the  Old  Testament,  and  it  is  held  by  some  to  have  been  at 
the  north-west  corner  of  Zion,  and  by  Schultz  and  others  at 
the  north-east  angle.  The  geographical  limits  of  Zion,  too, 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  17. 

-  I  render  the  quotation  literally  from  Luther’s  German  translation  : 
the  meaning  in  the  English  Bible  is  doubtful,  if  not  even  absurd. — Ed. 

3  Winer,  Bill.  Realw.  ii.  pp.  96,  735. 


64 


PALESTINE. 


are  not  easily  defined,  since  its  position  is  not  indicated  in  tlie 
Old  Testament,  and  Josephus  never  uses  the  word,  but  always 
speaks  of  the  “  upper  city.”  The  account  of  the  kings’  graves 
in  the  “  city  of  David”  shows  that  its  limits  extended  south¬ 
ward  beyond  the  present  walls.  It  lay,  therefore,  at  the  south 
and  south-west  parts  of  the  territory  bounded  by  the  great 
natural  ravines ;  and  Moriah  had  then  no  connection  with  it, 
as  we  learn  from  1  Chron.  xxi.  18,  and  2  Sam.  xxiv.  18-25, 
in  the  account  of  David’s  purchase  of  the  thrashing-floor  of 
Araunah  the  Jebusite,  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  there  an 
altar  to  Jehovah,  and  subsequently  a  temple.  The  name 
Moriah,  too,  comes  as  rarely  into  use  in  the  Old  Testament  as 
that  of  Zion  :  in  the  theocratic  language  of  the  prophets  and 
psalmists,  it  is  employed  to  indicate  the  whole  city  of  Jeru¬ 
salem  as  the  hallowed  dwelling-place  of  Jehovah,  and  very 
rarely  the  mountain  on  which  the  temple  stood.  Such  pas¬ 
sages  as  that  which  opens  the  forty-eighth  psalm  are  rare : 
“  Great  is  the  Lord,  and  greatly  to  be  praised  in  the  city  of 
our  God,  in  the  mountain  of  His  holiness.  Beautiful  for 
situation,  the  joy  of  the  whole  earth,  is  Mount  Zion,  on  the 
sides  of  the  north,  the  city  of  the  great  King.” 

With  far  greater  certainty  are  we  able  to  designate  the 
north-west  corner  of  Zion  in  the  present  citadel 1  el-Khalil, 
the  position  of  which  in  the  period  before  the  destruction  by 
Titus  is  manifested  by  remains  of  very  massive  proportions. 
The  present  citadel  is  an  irregular  assemblage  of  square 
towers,  which  are  defended  on  the  side  towards  the  city  by 
a  wall,  on  the  outside  of  which  there  is  a  deep  ditch  and  an 
escarpment,  which  appears  to  be  Roman  in  its  character :  it 
probably  dates  from  the  time  of  Hadrian.  Robinson’s  de¬ 
scription  is  the  most  detailed,  and  I  shall  adopt  it  as  my 
guide.  The  massive  exterior  works  comprise  so  much  space, 
that  if  they  were  cleared  of  their  rubbish  they  would  hold 
thousands  of  soldiers.  At  the  capture  of  J erusalem  in 
1099,  this  fortress  was  the  strongest  which  the  Saracens 
possessed,  and  it  was  the  last  which  was  surrendered.  Wil- 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  306-310,  316,  376 ;  Bartlett, 
Walks ,  etc.,  p.  85  ;  Roberts,  The  Holy  Land ,  Books  ii.  and  iv. 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


65 


liam  of  Tyre  speaks  of  it  as  the  Tower  or  the  Citadel  of  David, 
and  says  that  it  was  made  of  hewn  stone,  and  of  great 
strength.  When,  in  1219,  the  wall  around  it  was  destroyed 
by  the  Mohammedans,  according  to  Wilken,  the  fortress  was 
spared.  The  work  indeed  was  regarded  so  strong  as  to  he 
indestructible. 

Since  the  year  1522  this  stronghold  has  been  familiarly 
known  by  the  name  of  the  Castle  of  the  Pisanese,1  because, 
as  we  learn  from  Adrichomius,  during  the  time  that  the 
crusaders  held  the  city,  Christians  from  Pisa  built  it.  In 
the  interior  the  most  conspicuous  object  is  the  tower  at  the 
north-west,  on  which  the  Turkish  flag  is  usually  seen  waving: 
its  great  antiquity  secures  for  it  this  honour.  The  upper  part 
is  modern,  but  the  lower  portion  is  composed  of  huge  quarried 
stones  with  bevelled  edges,  and  unquestionably  retaining  their 
original  position.  This  is  the  Tower  of  David  par  eminence : 
it  is  no  other  than  the  Ilippicus  of  Ilerod,2  which  was  spared 
by  Titus,  as  Josephus  asserts,  in  order  to  remain  as  a  perpetual 
testimony  of  the  tremendous  difficulties  which  the  Homan 
conquerors  overcame.  Josephus,  who  has  given  a  full  de¬ 
scription  of  it,  says  that  at  that  tower,  in  the  north-western 
part  of  the  city,  each  one  of  the  three  walls  had  their  com¬ 
mencement.  It  was  erected  by  Ilerod,  and  was  named  in 
honour  of  his  friend  Ilippicus,  who  had  fallen  in  a  battle  with 
the  Parthians.  The  tower  was  rectangular,  every  side  twenty- 
five  Jewish  ells  long  and  thirty  high.  Above  this  massive 
portion  was  a  cistern,  twenty  ells  high,  with  rooms  twenty-five 
high,  together  with  breastworks  two  ells,  and  pinnacles  three 
ells  high.  The  altitude  of  the  whole  structure  was  eighty 
ells :  the  stones  which  composed  it  were  of  great  size,  twenty 
ells  long,  ten  broad,  and  five  high,  and  were  of  marble. 
Although  these  details  were  all  given  from  memory,  and  may 
perhaps  have  been  a  little  coloured,  yet  they  agree  in  the  main 
with  the  portion  which  remains,  which  is  really  of  massive  pro¬ 
portions,  and  has  stood  unchanged  during  all  the  vicissitudes 
through  which  Jerusalem  has  passed.  Both  Schultz  and  von 

1  Adrichomius,  Theatr.  Terrse,  Set.  p.  156. 

2  Bartlett,  Walks ,  p.  85,  Tab.  vi. 

E 


VOL.  IV. 


G6 


PALESTINE . 


Schubert  recognise  in  this  Pisan  castle  the  ancient  fortress  of 
David,  and  the  Tower  of  Hippicus  built  by  Herod.  Robin¬ 
son’s  careful  measurement  confirmed  the  same  view ;  for  the 
appearance  of  the  massive  bevelled  stones  at  the  base,  so 
similar  to  those  found  in  the  walls  of  the  Haram,  at  the 
Jews’  Wailing  Place,  at  the  old  broken  arch,  and  also  at 
Hebron,  led  him  to  the  irresistible  conclusion,  that  all  these 
works  date  back  at  least  to  the  time  of  Herod,  and  perhaps 
still  earlier.  The  Tower  of  Hippicus  is  quadrangular,  yet 
not  perfectly  square  :  its  eastern  side  is  fifty-six  feet  four 
inches  long,  its  southern  seventy  feet  three  inches.  The 
height  of  the  ancient  portion  is  forty  feet ;  and  were  it  not 
partially  buried  in  rubbish,  it  would  probably  reach  fifty  feet. 
The  stones  are  not  removed  from  their  old  places :  they 
remind  one  at  once  of  the  walls  referred  to  above  ;  yet  they 
are  smaller  in  their  dimensions,  they  being  nine,  ten,  and  in 
some  instances  twelve  feet  long.  Though  bevelled  at  the 
edges,  yet  in  the  middle  part  the  stones  are  often  left  rough, 
which  gives  the  whole  structure  a  much  less  finished  look 
than  it  would  otherwise  present.  The  present  entrance 
is  on  the  west  side,  but  it  is  half-way  up  the  side :  the  old 
portion  has  no  accessible  opening.  Josephus  alludes  to  the 
existence  of  two  other  towers  built  by  Herod  in  the  same 
form,  but  of  still  more  gigantic  dimensions :  one  of  them  he 
named  Phasaelus,  in  honour  of  a  friend,  and  the  other  Mari- 
amne,  in  honour  of  his  mistress.  They  stood  below  the 
Hippicus,  close  by  the  first  old  wall,  which  ran  north  of 
Zion  to  the  temple.  The  edge  of  the  eminence  on  which 
they  were  placed  was  thirty  Jewish  ells  above  the  Tyropoeon, 
which  gave  the  towers  a  very  commanding  aspect.  The  royal 
castle  and  palace  of  Herod  were  connected  with  the  Plippicus 
and  the  other  two  towers ;  the  whole  were  very  strongly 
fortified,  and  fitted  up  with  great  splendour.  Josephus  sur¬ 
passes  himself  in  his  description  of  the  magnificent  halls, 
gardens,  and  sculptures.  Nothing  is  left  of  all  this  but  the 
basis  of  the  Hippicus :  what  Titus  spared  was  subsequently 
razed  by  Hadrian,  who  wanted  to  use  the  stones  elsewhere, 
for  the  purposes  of  his  Colonia  ZElia  Capitolina. 


CIRCUIT  OF  TEE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


67 


Still  a  fourth  tower,  opposite  the  Hippicus  and  the  other 
towers  at  the  north,  and  at  the  north-west  corner  of  the  third 
or  outer  wall  of  the  city,  is  described  by  Josephus  as  eight¬ 
sided,  and  as  being  seventy  Jewish  ells  in  height.  From  its 
summit  it  is  asserted  that,  after  the  sun  had  gone  down, 
Arabia  and  the  Dead  Sea  could  be  descried.  It  must,  in 
order  to  have  afforded  such  a  prospect,  have  stood  upon  that 
prominent  elevation  of  land  that  lies  north-north-west  of  the 
present  north-west  corner  of  the  city.  About  seven  hundred 
feet  from  the  modern  wall,  and  upon  a  ridge  even  higher 
than  the  summit  of  Zion,  Robinson  believed  that  he  could 
trace  foundations  which  seemed  to  him  to  indicate  the  former 
existence1  there  of  towers  or  fortifications  stretching  north¬ 
ward  for  a  distance  of  six  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and  playing 
a  very  prominent  part  in  the  siege  of  Jerusalem.  Robinson 
thinks  that  it  could  not  have  been  the  Psephinos ;  but,  taken 
in  connection  with  other  traces,  he  suspects  that  it  must  have 
had  some  connection  with  it.  Schultz2  was  of  the  same 
opinion,  and  believed  that  he  could  trace  with  much  con¬ 
fidence  the  old  defences  of  Agrippa  past  these  apparent 
remains  of  the  Psephinos,  and  relics  of  cisterns,  as  far  as  to 
the  grave  of  Helena.  In  the  abundant  relics  of  former 
architectural  objects,  he  thinks  he  can  follow  the  course  of 
the  outer  wall  with  far  more  certainty  than  from  the 
imperfect  descriptions  which  have  come  down  to  us.  But  in 
case  that  distant  line  of  masonry  had  been  the  outer  wall,  the 
area  of  the  city  would  have  been  doubled,  for  which  the 
number  of  population  at  that  time  would  give  no  warrant ; 
and  the  defence  of  so  long  a  line  would  have  required  so 
large  a  body  of  men,  that  it  would  have  been  vulnerable  at 
many  points,  and  could  have  offered  but  a  feeble  resistance. 
According  toKrafft’s  subsequent  more  thorough  investigations, 
these  supposed  remains  of  towers  and  fortifications  prove  to 
be  only  the  lower  portions  of  cisterns  which  were  once  there. 
They  have  no  solid  foundations,  and  are  all  above  ground.'5 

1  Kobinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  314. 

2  Schultz,  Jerusalem ,  pp.  62,  63. 

3  Krafft,  Topographic,  pp.  37-39. 


68 


PALESTINE. 


We  must  therefore  hold  to  the  view,  that  the  western  wall 
of  the  ancient  city,  of  which  we  have  no  full  description,  did 
not  run  so  far  to  the  north  as  the  point  suspected  by  Robin¬ 
son,  but  terminated  at  the  present  north-west  corner,  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  Latin  Convent  of  St  Salvador  and  the 
so-called  citadel  of  Goliath  (Kasr  Jalud).  Near  the  latter  lies 
an  old  wall,  now  broken,  but  probably  connected  anciently 
with  the  Kasr,  beneath  which  there  is  to  be  seen  a  broad 
open  arch,  the  outer  west  wall  of  which  still  shows  traces  of 
the  great  stones  with  which  the  mighty  structure  was  once 
covered. 

These  gigantic  remains1  at  the  present  north-west  corner 
of  the  city  are  the  traces  of  the  last  great  structure  in 
Jerusalem  on  the  north  before  the  destruction  effected  by 
Titus,  i.e.  the  third  wall  built  by  Herod  Agrippa,  ten  or 
twelve  years  after  the  death  of  Christ,  for  the  protection  of 
the  new  town.  He  probably  took  as  the  starting-point  the 
princely  Psephinos  Tower,  to  which  the  subsequent  wall  of 
Hadrian  was  probably  contiguous. 

Josephus  speaks  of  it  as  the  most  remarkable  structure 
of  the  whole  third  wall.  Robinson  recognises  the  antiquity 
of  this  historical  monument,  although  he  does  not  use  it  to 
confirm  his  theory, — a  fact  which  does  much  to  recommend 
the  accuracy  and  trustworthiness  of  his  observations.2  These 
works,  he  remarks,  appear  to  have  been  built  upon  the  ruins 
of  a  yet  older  wall,  possibly  that  of  Hadrian  or  of  Agrippa ; 
for  at  the  south-western  corner,  near  the  ground,  there  are 
three  layers  of  great  bevelled  and  hewn  stones  which  run 
diagonally  into  the  mass,  in  such  a  wray  that  it  may  be  seen 
that  they  were  there  before  the  town  and  the  bastion  were 
built :  they  were  probably  the  remains,  he  thinks,  of  the  old 
third  wall.  These  three  layers  of  gigantic  bevelled  stones  are, 
according  to  Krafft,  the  relics  of  a  former  external  covering, 
and  the  unquestionable  traces  of  the  octagonal  form  of  the 
Psephinus,  from  which,  according  to  Josephus,  the  wall  ran 
directly  eastward.  Even  the  name  of  this  remnant,  fifteen 

1  Schultz,  Jerusalem ,  p.  95  ;  Krafft,  Topog.  pp.  40-42. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  314,  318. 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


69 


or  twenty  feet  high  as  it  is,  and  composed  of  small  stones, 
knit  very  firmly  together  by  the  mortar,  confirms  the  suspicion 
that  it  was  the  noble  Psephinos,  since  the  word  y\rr}$Lvos 
signifies  “  made  of  small  stones.”  In  the  middle  ages,  dur¬ 
ing  the  Crusades,  Tancred  encamped  in  its  neighbourhood, 
and  hence  it  was  called  Tancred’s  Tower.  Brocardus,  who 
visited  it  in  1283,  and  who  describes  its  location  and  sur¬ 
roundings  in  much  the  same  way  as  Josephus  does,  terms 
it,  in  consequence  of  its  elevated  position,  Neblosa. 

Krafft  seeks  to  justify  his  position  in  opposition  to  that  of 
Schultz  and  his  predecessors,  who  advocated  the  theory  of  an 
extension  of  the  wall  a  long  distance  north  of  the  city,  by 
showing  that  all  natural  protection  which  might  have  been 
afforded  by  the  nature  of  the  land  was  wanting  there  ;  while 
in  Josephus’  account  of  the  eastward  direction  of  the  wall 
from  the  Psephinos  tower  on,  there  are  localities  still  dis¬ 
cernible  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the  present  wall, 
and  of  valuable  service  in  identifying  the  site  of  the 
ancient  one.  Josephus  says  that  the  wrall  lay  along  the 
line  of  graves  opposite  that  of  Helena  (on  the  south), 
and  then  ran  down  towards  the  city,  past  the  royal 
caverns  (Herod’s  cave,  now  the  grotto  of  Jeremiah)  :  it  then 
turned  towards  the  Potters’  Field,  and  finally  united  itself  to 
the  ancient  wall  at  the  Kedron  valley.  These  are  indeed 
only  indications,  and  may  allow  us  to  attain  to  probability, 
but  they  do  not  ensure  certainty.  We  turn  back  now  to 
the  region  outside  of  the  western  wall,  before  the  Jaffa  gate 
and  the  Castle  of  David,  where  runs  the  Valley  of  Gihon 
from  north  to  south,  with  its  two  pools,1  commonly  known 
as  the  upper  and  the  lower,  or  the  larger  and  the  smaller. 
The  valley  runs  first  southward,  or  rather  south-eastward,  to 
the  Jaffa  gate,  and  then  directly  southward,  till  it  reaches  the 
southern  extremity  of  Zion,  and  turns  eastward  towards  the 
Valley  of  Jehoshaphat.  Robinson  did  not  fail  to  remark  that 
it  was  strictly  an  upper  valley  of  Ilinnom,  and  perhaps  should 
be  called  Gihon  only  in  its  upper  portion ;  a  name  which 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  328,  etc. ;  Wilson,  Lands  of  the 
Bible ,  i.  493. 


70 


PALESTINE. 


is  often1  met  with  to  indicate  a  watercourse,  and  whose 
original  application  to  this  valley  is  a  subject  of  doubt.  The 
word  Gihon2  (to  spring,  to  jet  forth)  occurs  very  early  in 
the  Old  Testament,  and  Josephus  says  that  Solomon  was 
crowned  at  the  fountain  of  Gihon.  At  the  time  of  king 
Hezekiah,  who  constructed  water-works  for  the  protection 
of  the  city  in  case  of  attack  by  an  enemy,  we  are  told  (2 
Chron.  xxxii.  30 ;  2  Kings  xx.  20)  that  “  this  same  Heze¬ 
kiah  also  stopped  the  upper  watercourse  of  Gihon,  and 
brought  it  straight  down  to  the  west  side  of  the  city  of 
David.”  But  it  by  no  means  appears  from  this  passage 
which  of  the  various  works  around  Jerusalem  is  meant, 
and  whether  it  was  that  which  is  met  as  one  comes  out 
of  the  city,  near  the  Jaffa  gate.  Isaiah  (xxii.  9-11)  and 
Sirach  (xlviii.  17)  describe  the  destruction  of  the  water¬ 
courses  at  the  approach  of  the  Assyrians  :  they  speak  of  an 
old  pool  outside  of  the  city,  whose  waters  were  conducted 
within  two  walls,  and  collected  within  a  new  or  lower  pool. 
The  historical  circumstances  connected  with  these  accounts 
make  it  highly  probable  that  this  Gihon  spring,  and  the  old 
pool,  which  received  its  name  in  contradistinction  to  the  new 
one  within  the  city,  lay  on  the  north  side,  in  the  neighbour¬ 
hood  of  the  Damascus  gate,  and  not  on  the  west,  although 
the  later  legend  has  wrongly  connected  the  reservoir  in  the 
present  Gihon  or  upper  Hinnom  valley  with  the  water-works 
built  by  Hezekiah,  and  has  given  the  name  upper  and  lower 
pool  to  the  reservoir  lying,  according  to  Robinson,  seven 
hundred  paces  west  of  Kasr  Jalud.  The  Arabs  call  the 
upper  pool  Birket  el  Mamilla,  the  lower  one  outside  of  the 
city  Birket  es  Sultan.  Another  one,  below  the  upper  pool, 
but  within  the  walls  and  north  of  the  citadel,  and  at  present 
surrounded  by  houses,  has  received  from  pilgrims  the  name 
of  Hezekiah’ s 3  Pool:  the  Arabs,  however,  call  it  Birket  el 
Hammam,  or  el-Batrak,  a  corruption  of  the  name  given  it 
by  the  crusaders,  who  called  it  Lacus  Patriarchy  because  it 

1  Winer,  Bill,  llealvo.  i.  p.  428. 

2  Krafft,  Topographic,  pp.  119-124. 

3  Bartlett,  Walks ,  etc.,  p.  89,  Tab.  vii 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


71 


furnished  the  baths  of  the  patriarchs  with  water.  The  name 
given  by  pilgrims  is  by  no  means  an  ancient  one :  neither 
Brocardus  in  1283  nor  the  crusaders  employed  it.  Quares- 
mius  (1616  to  1625)  appears  to  be  the  first1  who  insisted 
that  the  pool  called  in  his  time  the  Piscina  Sancti  Sepulchri 
was  the  one  which  Isaiah  (xxii.  9)  speaks  of  as  Hezekiah’s 
pool,  the  water  of  which  that  king  brought  into  the  city  by 
an  aqueduct  running  north-westward. 

Traces  of  high  antiquity  in  the  upper  one  of  the  two 
pools,  i.e.  the  one  known  by  the  Arabs  as  Mamilla,  show  that 
it  sent  a  branch  southward  to  the  Gihon,  as  now  its  surplus 
waters  flow  towards  the  Jaffa  gate  (the  valley  gate  of 
Nehemiah),  before  which  was  the  Dragon2  Fountain,  which 
Nehemiah  rode  past  while  he  examined  the  west  side  of  the 
city  by  night,  in  order  to  make  his  plans  for  the  restoration 
of  the  walls  of  the  city  (Neh.  ii.  13,  iii.  13). 

The  name  Birket  el  Mamilla  is  derived  from  a  church 
in  the  neighbourhood,  long  since  destroyed,  called  after  St 
Mamilla.  The  legend  states  that,  at  the  time  of  the  Persian 
invasion  under  Chosroes  n.  in  614,  the  bodies  of  twelve 
thousand  slaughtered  Christians  were  preserved  in  its  neigh¬ 
bourhood.  At  the  time  of  the  Crusades  there  were  the  graves 
of  Christians  there,  but  later  the  Moslems  laid  out  one  of 
their  burial-grounds  there.  Bobinson  found  the  pool  very 
dry,  yet  full  in  the  rainy  season.  Its  length  from  west  to 
south-east  he  ascertained  to  be  three  hundred  and  sixteen  feet, 
its  breadth  two  hundred  feet,  its  depth  about  twenty  feet. 
Its  walls  are  composed  of  small  stones  overlaid  with  mortar. 
Its  position  indicates  the  beginning3  of  the  Valley  of  Hinnom, 
called  more  fully  by  Jeremiah  (xix.  2,  6)  the  Valley  of  the 
the  son  of  Hinnom,  or  Ben  Hinnom,  which  the  Greeks  con¬ 
tracted  into  Geenna :  from  this  springs  the  Gehinnom  of 
the  moderns,  or,  as  Edrisi  and  others  write  it,  the  Wadi 
Jehennam.  Its  cradle  is  surrounded  by  the  gentle  hills  of 

1  Quaresmius,  Elucidat.  T.  Sanct.  T.  ii.  fol.  717. 

2  Krafft,  Topog.  pp.  124,  186  ;  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  319,  326  ; 
Williams,  Holy  City ,  p.  302 ;  Tobler,  Ausland ,  1849,  No.  20,  p.  78. 

3  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  272. 


1 


72  PALESTINE. 

the  watershed  which  must  be  passed  by  one  going  to  Jaffa. 
The  rain-water  collects  in  the  valley,  and  runs  south  over  a 
stony  bottom,  fifty  to  a  hundred  paces  wide,  and  forming  a 
ravine  or  gorge  fifty  feet  deep,  extending  to  the  south-west 
corner  of  Mount  Zion,  where  it  becomes  a  true  valley  of 
Hinnom  :  the  name  Valley  of  Gihon  is  nowhere  applied  to  the 
upper  portion  in  the  Old  Testament. 

Tobler  says,  that  at  the  Mamilla  pool  there  is  at  present 
no  spring  of  fresh  water,  but  that  it  sends  its  surplus  in  the 
winter  through  a  canal  into  the  city.  He  asserts  that  he  has 
often  been  refreshed  by  drinking  at  the  little  waterfall  which 
is  made  by  the  issuing  of  the  water  at  the  south-west  corner 
of  the  pool.  Gadow 1  found  the  length  of  the  Mamilla  basin 
to  be  a  hundred  and  twenty-five  paces,  and  its  breadth  eighty 
paces.  At  its  west  side  he  found  a  spacious  cavern  in  the  rock, 
which  appeared  to  him  to  be  an  ancient  grave.  He  noticed 
also  that  an  aqueduct,  originally  covered,  but  afterwards  left 
open,  led  thence  to  the  Jaffa  gate,  which  therefore  must  lie 
lower.  It  passes  its  south  side  and  then  enters  the  city ; 
but  he  did  not  learn  whether  it  ends  at  the  Patriarchs’  Bath 
(Pool  of  Hezekiali),  as  is  generally  supposed. 

For  centuries  the  name  Hezekiah’s  Pool  has  been  in  use  : 
it  lies  east  of  the  Jaffa  gate,  on  the  west  side  of  the  street 
which  runs  northward  to  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre, 
on  which  account  it  used  to  be  called  by  the  monks  the  Pool 
of  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  Now  it  is  generally  known  as  the 
Birket  el  Hammam,  from  the  circumstance  that  its  water  is 
commonly  applied  to  bathing  purposes.  Sometimes  the  name 
is  given  in  a  fuller  form,  Birket  Hammam  el  Batrak,  i.e.  the 
Bath  of  the  Patriarchs,2  because  its  water  was  used  in  the 
patriarchs’  ablutions,  according  to  the  popular  notion.  Stand¬ 
ing  on  the  house  of  Mr  Whiting,  the  American  missionary, 
Bartlett  was  enabled  to  make  a  very  perfect  sketch  of  this 
basin,  surrounded  as  it  is  by  other  houses,  whose  flat  roofs  and 
little  domes  he  has  retained  in  his  picture,  adding  the  scat¬ 
tered  fig  and  palm  trees  which  stand  here  and  there,  and  on 
the  left  the  top  of  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  At  the 

1  Gadow,  p.  125.  2  Krafft,  Topogr.  pp.  124,  125. 


CIRCUIT  OF  TEE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


73 


right  the  view  extends  down  the  Tyropoeon  valley.  The 
massive  rectangular  building  before  the  church  belonged  to 
the  Knights  of  St  John  at  the  time  of  the  Latin  kingdom  of 
Jerusalem.  Eastward  the  eye  runs  past  the  Mosque  of  Omar 
to  the  Mount  of  Olives.  According  to  Gadow,  this  pool  is 
only  full  during  the  rainy  season  :  it  is  eighty  to  a  hundred 
paces  in  length,  and  fifty  or  sixty  in  breadth ;  up  to  a  height 
of  ten  feet  from  the  bottom,  its  walls  are  covered  with  cement 
in  a  good  state  of  preservation. 

As  this  pool  was  between  walls,  and  was  moreover  between 
the  walls  of  the  upper  and  lower  city  described  by  Josephus, 
Schultz 1  believed  that  he  had  found  in  it  a  confirmation  of 
the  existence  in  that  neighbourhood  of  the  fortifications  erected 
by  Ilezekiah,  referred  to  in  Isa.  xxii.  9-11,  in  the  words 
where  the  prophet  appeals  to  the  timorous,  and  those  who 
have  forgotten  their  God,  at  the  time  of  the  Assyrian  inva¬ 
sion  :  “Ye  have  seen  also  the  breaches  of  the  city  of  David, 
that  they  are  many ;  and  ye  gathered  together  the  waters 
of  the  lower  pool :  and  ye  have  numbered  the  houses  of 
Jerusalem,  and  the  houses  have  ye  broken  down  to  fortify 
the  wall.  Ye  made  also  a  ditch  between  the  two  walls  for 
the  water  of  the  old  pool  :  but  ye  have  not  looked  unto  the 
maker  thereof,  neither  had  respect  unto  him  that  fashioned  it 
long  ago.” 

Unquestionably  this  pool  must  have  lain  between  the  two 
walls  (the  first  and  the  second  of  Josephus’  account,  though 
Pobinson  locates  it  within  the  second),  and  not  within  the 
city,  whither  it  was  necessary  to  conduct  the  water  in  order 
to  supply  the  besieged,  and  to  cut  it  off  from  the  besiegers. 
It  lay  therefore  outside,  and  failed  accordingly  in  fulfilling 
the  purpose  of  its  builders ;  for  the  third  wall,  which  now 
throws  it  within  the  city  limits,  was  built  long  subsequently. 
Notwithstanding,  the  statement  made  in  the  passage  quoted 
above,  2  Chron.  xxxii.  30,  “  This  same  Hezekiah  stopped  the 
upper  watercourse  of  Gihon,  and  brought  it  straight  down  to 
the  west  side  of  the  city  of  David,”  seems  to  correspond  closely 
to  the  present  position  of  the  Mamilla  Pool,  and  that  of  the 
1  Schultz,  Jerusalem ,  p.  83. 


74 


PALESTINE. 


patriarchs  regarded  as  the  Pool  of  Hezekiah  ;  on  which 
account  Robinson1  was  inclined  to  hold  the  latter  as  unques¬ 
tionably  Hezekiah’s  Pool,  there  being  in  his  view  no  other  way 
of  explaining  the  use  of  the  words  “upper  and  lower  pools”  than 
by  supposing  that  these  were  the  ones  indicated.  Yet,  aside 
from  the  failure  of  the  object  in  view  when  the  lower  one  was 
built, — namely,  the  supply  of  the  city  in  time  of  siege, — the 
plain  meaning  of  the  words  in  2  Kings  xx.  20  seems  to  militate 
against  this  hypothesis,  where  we  are  told  that  Hezekiah  “made 
a  pool,  and  a  conduit,  and  brought  water  into  the  city.”  It  is 
not  to  the  city,  but  into  the  city.  With  this  the  passage  in 
Ecclus.  xlviii.  19  agrees  :  “  He  fortified  his  city,  and  brought 
in  water  into  the  midst  thereof ;  he  digged  the  hard  rock 
with  iron,  and  made  wells  for  waters.”  From  this  it  would 
seem  that  the  expression  “  the  pool  between  two  walls  ” 
may  be  referred  to  some  other  locality  in  the  valley  between 
Zion  and  Moriah,  and  that  although  Josephus,  in  describ¬ 
ing  the  Patriarchs’  Pool  as  lying  “  between  two  walls,”  lias 
called  it  Amygdalon,  or  the  Almond  Pool,  and  given  no 
indication  of  any  connection  of  it  with  the  aqueduct  built  by 
Hezekiah. 

This  Birket  el  Hamm  am,  according  to  Robinson  (whose 
estimate  differs  somewhat  from  that  of  Gadow),  is  about  two 
hundred  and  forty  feet  long,  a  hundred  and  forty-four  broad, 
but  of  insignificant  depth.  The  bottom  is  made  of  rock,  and 
is  covered  wdth  mortar,  and  levelled.  In  the  month  of  May 
it  was  found  to  be  only  half  full,  and  could  scarcely  be 
supplied  during  the  whole  of  summer  from  a  source  like  the 
Mamilla  Pool,  which  is  itself  so  likely  to  be  dry.  At  the 
northern  end  stands  the  Coptic  Convent,  at  whose  erection 
antique  walls  with  bevelled  edges  werp  exhumed,  making  it 
probable  that  the  pool  once  extended  northward  as  far  as  the 
city  wall.  The  expression  employed  in  Isa.  xxii.  9,  regarding 
the  collection  of  waters  in  “  the  lower  pool,”  is  no  less  appli¬ 
cable  to  the  Birket  el  Hammam  than  to  another  and  much 
larger  basin  below  the  Jaffa  gate,  near  the  turning  of  the 
Gihon  valley,  and  its  point  of  immergence  in  the  Hinnom 
1  Kobinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  326-329. 


I 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS.  75 

valley.  The  latter  pool  cannot  possibly  be  conceived  as  ever 
within  the  city.  Although  it  is  usually  called  by  pilgrims  the 
Lower  Pool  of  Gihon,1  from  the  circumstance  that  it  derives 
its  water  from  the  upper  pool,  yet  it  is  commonly  designated 
by  the  Arabs  Birket  es  Sultan.  Pilgrims  sometimes,  how- 
I  ever,  give  it  the  name  of  the  Beerslieba  or  the  Bathsheba 
Pool,  a  title  applied  usually  and  more  strictly  to  an  insig¬ 
nificant  little  basin  or  ditch  just  at  the  left  on  entering  the 
Jaffa  gate.  It  has,  however,  been  recently  filled  up,  at  the 
instigation  of  the  French  consul. 

The  large  reservoir  just  mentioned,  although  from  all 
appearance  of  great  antiquity,2  and  possibly  identical  in  situa¬ 
tion  with  that  mentioned  in  Neh.  iii.  16  as  opposite  to  the 
sepulchre  of  David,  has  received  the  name  of  the  Sultan’s 
Pool,  from  the  circumstance  that  it  was  built  contempo¬ 
raneously  with  the  erection  of  the  wall  on  Mount  Zion  by 
Sultan  Suleiman,  between  1520  and  1526,  as  is  testified  by 
an  Arabic  inscription.  The  rocky  walls  of  the  Gihon  valley 
form  two  sides  of  the  pool :  some  flat  stones  are  set  up 
against  these  rocky  faces,  and  two  walls  of  hewn  stone  are 
laid  directly  across  the  valley  to  serve  as  the  ends.  Over  the 
southernmost  of  these  two  the  road  which  comes  from  Beth¬ 
lehem  runs,  room  being  left  for  a  fountain  now  dry,  and  the 
Arabic  inscription  above  mentioned.  As  this  great  cistern  is 
filled  only  a  portion  of  the  time  with  rain-water,  it  is  by  no 
means  a  superfluous  task  to  supply  the  city  by  means  of 
aqueducts,  the  best  known  of  which  is  the  one  previously 
described,  which  comes  from  the  pools  of  Solomon,  and  is 
conducted  over  nine  stone  arches,  resting  on  the  northern 
wall  of  this  pool  of  Gihon.  An  inscription  on  this  bridge  of 
arches  indicates  that  it  was  built  by  the  Egyptian  Sultan 
Mohammed  ibn  Kelavun,  who  reigned  between  1294  and 
1314.  But  this  was  unquestionably  only  the  restoration  of  a 
much  older  structure,  traces  of  which  Wilson  found  on  the 
Mount  Zion  side,  in  immense  hewn  stones,  which  convinced 
him  that  there  was  at  an  early  period  a  gigantic  watercourse 

1  Robinson,  Rib.  Research,  i.  pp.  24,  327  ;  Krafft,  Topogr.  p.  185. 

2  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible,  i.  p.  495. 


76 


PALESTINE. 


there.1  The  city  walls  are  a  hundred  feet  higher  than  the 
pool,  whose  dimensions  reach  the  remarkable  figures  of  592 
feet  in  length,  245  to  275  in  breadth,  and  35  to  42  in  depth. 
The  aqueduct,  which  is  known  in  modern  times  as  that  of 
Pontius  Pilate,  had  fallen  very  much  out  of  repair,  but  within 
recent  years  it  has  been  restored  by  the  Turkish  governor,  as 
a  very  important  public  work.  Its  course  gives  with  tolerable 
accuracy  the  level  of  the  ravine,  from  the  lower  pool  on, 
where  it  crosses  on  the  arches  of  masonry  from  the  foot  of 
the  Mountain  of  Evil  Counsel  to  the  southern  base  of  Mount 
Zion  and  the  junction  of  the  Gihon,  Hinnom,  and  Tyropoeon 
valleys.  From  this  point  Tobler  believes  that  he  has  traced 
this  Etham  aqueduct,  whose  further  course  in  the  Tyropoeon 
was  formerly  unknown,  within  the  city  wall  from  the  Dung 
Gate  northward  to  the  Suk  Bab  es  Sinesleh,  i.e.  to  the 
residence  of  the  kadi  and  the  Mekhemeh,  where  it  begins  to 
supply  the  city  with  water. 

We  now  turn,  with  Gadow,2  northward  from  the  Jaffa 
gate,  and  follow  the  Gihon  valley,  covered  as  it  is  with  fine 
groups  of  olive  trees,  and  during  the  rainy  season  with 
patches  of  grain  and  cucumbers.  The  city  wall  bears  uni¬ 
formly  in  a  north-westerly  direction,  and  the  road  runs 
parallel  with  it,  though  at  a  distance  of  some  forty  paces  from 
it.  It  lies  about  eight  feet  below  the  lowest  layer  of  stones  in 
the  wall,  and  follows  the  course  of  a  kind  of  platform  between 
it  and  the  wall.  The  sides  of  this  platform  are  in  many  cases 
regularly  walled  up  :  in  others  there  are  openings  in  it,  as  if 
once  for  the  purpose  of  holding  water.  At  the  north-west 
corner  of  the  city  these  subordinate  walls  rise  to  the  height  of 
four  or  five  feet :  they  lie  at  a  distance  of  ten  or  fifteen  feet 
from  the  city  wall,  whose  irregularities  they  follow  to  a 
certain  extent,  as  well  as  does  the  course  of  the  ditch,  which 
here  and  there  has  a  depth  of  from  eight  to  fifteen  feet. 

At  the  well-defined  north-west  corner  of  the  city,  near  the 
Mohammedan  wely,  there  are  to  be  seen  in  the  wall,  at  a 

1  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible,  i.  p.  494  ;  Gadow,  iii.  p.  38  ;  Tobler,  in 
Ausland,  1848,  Nos.  19,  22,  p.  73. 

2  Gadow,  iii.  p.  41. 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


77 


height  of  four  or  five  feet  from  the  earth,  two  immense 
capitals  adorned  with  foliage,  and  set  into  the  masonry  in  a 
reversed  position.  A  couple  of  similar  ones  may  be  seen  in 
the  inner  wall  of  the  same  wely.  Here  the  ditch  ceases.  An 
old  wall  runs  across  it,  its  height  the  same  as  the  depth  of 
the  fosse,  and  bearing  traces  of  having  once  served  as  the 
basis  of  an  ancient  aqueduct.  It  is  at  this  point,  just  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  Goliath  citadel  (Kasr  Jalud)  and  the 
Latin  Convent,  the  principal  home  of  the  pilgrims  who  visit 
Jerusalem,  that  the  wall  suddenly  loses  its  direction  north¬ 
westward,  and  turns  sharply  towards  the  east,  thence  to  run 
across  to  the  upper  Kedron  valley,  where  we  started  in  our 
examination. 

4.  The  Northern  Wall  from  Kasr  Jalud  and  the  Latin  Convent 
eastward ',  past  the  Damascus  Gate ,  to  the  north-east 
corner ,  near  the  St  Stephens  Gate. 

The  northern  side  of  the  city  offers  a  surface  so  little 
remarkable  for  objects  of  special  prominence,  that  just  on 
this  very  ground  must  be  sought  the  reason  why  there  must 
continue  to  be  so  much  uncertainty  regarding  ancient  and 
modern  Jerusalem,  till  future  measurements  shall  lead  us  to 
more  settled  data  than  we  at  present  possess.  Even  in  the 
ground  plan  of  the  city  drawn  by  Catherwood,  elsewhere  so 
valuable,  and  followed  by  Kiepert,  Robinson,  Schultz,  and 
others,  the  deviations  from  the  later  results,  gained  in  the 
official  survey  of  Symonds  and  Aldrich  (the  great  bowing 
convex  of  the  northern  wall  being  shown  to  be  a  mere  gentle 
curve),  are  so  marked,  that  it  may  be  doubted  whether  an 
equally  careful  survey  of  the  ground  level,  and  the  preparation 
of  vertical  sections,  would  not  show  as  marked  changes,  or 
display  as  signal  errors.  The  greatest  difficulties  lie  in  our 
way  on  the  northern  side  of  the  city,  and  the  acumen  of 
observers  has  been  exhausted  in  the  effort  to  master  them. 
The  absence  of  prominent  monuments  on  the  scenes  of  great 
battles,  the  lack  of  great  fortifications  and  ancient  walls  of 
defence,  the  masses  of  rubbish  which  have  been  heaped  into 
ancient  springs  and  natural  watercourses,  as  well  without  as 


78 


PALESTINE. 


within  the  city,  make  it  exceedingly  difficult  to  follow  the 
descriptions  of  ancient  authors,  such  as  those  of  the  Old 
Testament  and  Josephus,  clear  as  they  may  have  been  at  the 
time,  and  intelligible  to  those  for  whom  they  were  prepared. 
Even  when  there  was  a  great  deal  of  definiteness,  they  are 
hard  to  follow,  and  are  capable  of  a  diversity  of  interpreta¬ 
tions  ;  but  in  the  case  of  Josephus  the  difficulty  is  much 
increased,  from  the  fact  that  he  wrote  from  memory,  at  a 
place  and  at  a  time  different  from  those  where  and  when  the 
occurrences  took  place  which  he  narrates.  We  must  grant, 
therefore,  that  there  is  a  large  field  for  the  play  of  conjecture : 
its  labyrinthine  walks  we  cannot  wholly  escape,  but  must 
confidently  leave  to  a  more  advanced  study  of  the  place  itself, 
based  on  future  measurements  and  excavations,  and  to  a  more 
thorough  examination  of  ancient  documents,  the  solution  of 
questions  which  are  now*  unsettled.1 

From  the  Mamilla  Pool  in  the  Gihon  valley,  Robinson2 
wandered  along  the  north-western  portion  of  the  wall,  passing 
a  great  terebinth  or  butm  tree,  and  then  crossed  a  rolling 
plain  composed  of  hard  limestone  rock.  The  landscape  was 
a  desolate  one  to  look  upon :  here  and  there  olive  trees  and 
patches  of  arable  land,  but  no  vines  and  no  fig  trees  :  these 
only  flourish  wffiere  the  land  is  lower,  east-north-east  of  the 
Damascus  gate.  He  then  turned  to  the  left,  and  crossed  to 
the  grotto  of  Jeremiah,  which  lies  on  the  south  side  of  a 
round  hill,  being  entered  through  a  perpendicular  wall.  It  is 
surrounded  by  a  small  unwalled  garden.  The  land  gradually 
rises  between  the  Damascus  and  Jaffa  gates,  and  the  highest 
part  of  the  whole  city  is  that  which  is  found  in  the  north-west 
corner  around  the  Kasr  Jalud  and  the  Latin  Convent.  The 
roof  of  the  latter  commands  the  whole  town,3  even  the  highest 
part  of  Mount  Zion,  and  affords  one  of  the  most  extensive, 
and  at  the  same  time  one  of  the  most  charming  prospects  in 
Jerusalem.  This  high  position  was  near  being  perilous4  to  the 

1  Scholz,  Raise,  p.  166. 

2  Kobinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  233,  234,  238. 

3  See  Partbey’s  ms.  for  a  detailed  view  of  these. 

4  Quaresmius,  Elucid.  Terrx  Sarictie,  ii.  p.  52. 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS . 


79 


convent,  for  in  1600  some  hostile  Turks  in  the  city  endeavoured 
to  excite  the  jealousy  of  the  governor  of  the  city,  and  induce 
him  to  destroy  the  convent,  because  it  overtopped  the  adjacent 
citadel.  Between  the  grotto  of  Jeremiah  and  the  city  there  is 
no  valley,  though  outside  of  the  wall  the  land  rises  somewhat 
higher  than  even  within  the  walls  at  the  north-west  corner. 
From  the  Kasr  J alud  to  the  edge1  of  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat, 
Robinson  estimated  the  greatest  breadth  of  the  city  at  3060 
feet,  so  that  the  Damascus  gate  lies  not  far  from  the  middle. 
The  whole  northern  wall  presents  an  imposing  appearance, 
with  many  sharp  angles,  towers,  and  battlements.  The  portion 
erected  by  Sultan  Suleiman  in  1542,  and  often  repaired,  is 
mostly  made  of  large  stones  laid  in  mortar ;  its  clefts  and 
holes  have  become  the  refuge  of  countless  lizards  which  may 
be  seen  crawling  out.  Stones  with  carved  edges,  dating  from 
the  Roman  times,  are  mingled  with  those  of  more  modern 
date.  There  is  only  one  gate  open  on  the  north  side  of  the 
city,  the  Bab  el  Amud,  i.e.  the  Pillared  Gate  of  the  Native 
Born.  From  the  fact  that  the  road  to  Damascus  passes 
through  it,  it  is  generally  called,  however,  the  Damascus 
gate.  The  exterior  of  this  stately  gate  is  from  thirty  to 
sixty  feet  in  height.  Outside  there  are  ditches  excavated  in 
the  rock  ;  but  as  they  do  not  run  all  the  way  along  the  wall, 
they  would  not  be  of  much  service  in  the  way  of  defence. 
On  the  breastworks  and  behind  the  ramparts  there  is  a  line 
of  wall,  to  which  stairs  ascend  at  various  places.  North-west 
of  the  Damascus  gate  there  are  a  couple  of  gates  which  are 
walled  up. 

The  remarks  which  Robinson  makes  regarding  the  topo¬ 
graphy  of  the  northern  side  of  the  city  are  noteworthy.  In 
one  passage  he  says  that  “  the  surface  of  the  high  projecting 
mass  of  land  on  which  Jerusalem  stands  sinks  steeply  towards 
the  east,  where  it  is  bordered  by  the  edge  of  the  Valley  of 
Jehoshaphat and  further  on  he  says,  that  u  from  the  north 
side  of  the  present2  Damascus  gate  there  runs  a  hollow  or 
shallow  wadi  southward  directly  through  the  city,  on  the 
west  side  of  which  are  the  ancient  hills  of  Acra  and  Zion,  while 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  2G0.  2  Ibid.  i.  p.  259. 


80 


PALESTINE. 


on  the  east  there  are  the  less  elevated  Bezetha  and  Moriah.” 
Between  Acra  and  Zion  there  is  a  second  depression  or  shallow 
wadi,  which,  however,  is  very  readily  traceable,  running  from 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  Jaffa  gate,  forming  a  cross  valley 
whose  course  is  east  and  west,  and  forming  a  junction  with 
the  other.  The  course  of  the  united  valleys  is  then  south¬ 
ward,  through  a  deeper  valley  bed,  as  far  as  to  the  Fountain 
of  Siloam  and  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat :  this  is  the  ancient 
Tyropoeon.  The  verification  of  these  two  shallow  wadis 
running  in  such  different  directions,  the  existence  of  both  of 
which  Robinson  acknowledges,  while  supposing  that  the  one 
running  eastward  from  the  Jaffa  gate  is  the  ancient  upper 
Tyropoeon,  is  at  the  basis  of  the  great  Jerusalem  controversy, 
which  has  been  so  long  and  so  ably,  disputed.  On  the  one 
side  we  have  Robinson  as  the  great  authority,  supporting  his 
views  with  masterly  ability,  and  restating  them  even  more  em¬ 
phatically  in  his  supplementary  pages  than  in  the  old  edition 
of  the  Biblical  Researches.  Opposed  to  his  views  we  have 
among  those  who  first  appeared,  Williams  and  Schultz,  sub¬ 
sequently  Krafft  and  Gadow.  The  questions  involved  are  of 
no  slight  moment ;  for  on  the  course  of  the  upper  portion  of 
the  Tyropoeon,  whether  northward  towards  the  Damascus 
gate  or  westward  towards  the  J affa  gate,  depends  the  inter¬ 
pretation  of  Josephus’  account  of  the  ancient  divisions  of  the 
city,  the  position  of  the  beleaguering  camp,  the  location  of  the 
early  Christian  edifices,  and  the  history  of  the  great  changes 
which  the  city  has  experienced.  Regarding  the  controversy, 
I  can  only  say  here  that  Robinson  has  displayed,  in  a  truly 
worthy  spirit  and  manner,  extensive  learning  and  rare  acute¬ 
ness  ;  and  even  where  I  cannot  accept  his  conclusions,  I  am 
forced  to  admit  that  his  book  must  be  regarded  as  a  model  in 
the  field  of  polemics.  It  was  not  to  be  expected,  of  course, 
that  he  could  answer  the  arguments  which  have  only  subse¬ 
quently  been  put  forth  by  Krafft. 

The  cross  valley,  which  Robinson  says  it  is  still  per¬ 
fectly  easy  to  trace,  is  confidently  affirmed  by  his  opponents 
to  have  no  real  existence.  At  present  it  is  only  to  be  traced 
in  the  course  of  a  street  that  lies  low,  the  depression  running 


CIRCUIT  OF  TIIE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


81 


from  the  Damascus  gate  southward.  On  the  contrary,  not 
only  has  it  a  hydrographical  character  of  its  own,  indicating 
that  it  was  once  a  shallow  wadi,  but  it  is  even  still  called  el- 
Wadi  by  the  Jerusalemites,  and  has  this  to  plead  in  its  behalf, 
that  it  runs  in  a  parallel  course  with  the  larger  valleys  on 
the  east  and  west,  those  of  Kedron  and  Gihon, — an  arrange¬ 
ment  which  breaks  the  tongue  of  land  extending  southward 

O  O 

into  two  minor  and  distinct  projections.  But  both  hypo¬ 
thetical  Tyropoea  are  filled  with  vast  quantities  of  rubbish, 
and  so  covered  with  crooked  streets  and  houses,  that  it  has 
always  been  exceedingly  difficult  to  gain  a  clear  conception 
of  their  topographical  character.  The  inhabitants  of  Jerusa¬ 
lem  do  not  give  the  name  wadi  to  the  cross  valley,  and  many 
deny  in  explicit  terms,  Tobler1  among  the  more  recent,  that 
any  depression  is  to  be  traced  there.  Gadow,  whose  observa¬ 
tions  had  been  exceedingly  close,  in  detecting  the  errors 
connected  with  the  location  of  the  northern  wall  as  laid  down 
by  his  predecessors,  confirms  the  view  taken  in  opposition 
to  Robinson’s,  and  traces  the  Tyropoeon  northward  to  the 
Damascus  gate,  indicating  its  origin  by  the  expressive  term 
“valley  basin”  (Thalbecken2). 

The  tongue  of  high  land  on  which  the  city  stands  extends, 
according  to  Gadow,  from  the  north-west  corner  past  the 
Jeremiah  grotto  northward  about  1200  paces,  to  the  western 
bend  of  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat.  Its  level  is  almost 
identical  with  that  in  the  north-western  portion  of  the  city 
proper ;  only  the  rocky  hill  out  of  which  the  grotto  of 
Jeremiah  is  hewn  rises  some  sixty  feet  above  this  level. 
Where  it  forms  the  western  wall  of  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat, 
it  is  steep  and  bold ;  scarcely  less  so  on  the  southern  side  of 
a  valley  running  westward  across  the  northern  part  of  the 
great  plateau.  Here  may  be  seen  some  large  caves  excavated 
in  the  rock,  one  of  which  is  known  as  the  Potters’  Grave  ; 
on  which  account  the  Potters’  Field  has  been  located  there, 
although  there  is  no  resemblance  between  the  rock  tombs 
found  there  and  the  other  important  ancient  ones  discovered 

1  Tobler,  in  Ausland ,  1848,  No.  18,  p.  70. 

2  Gadow,  in  Zeitsch.  d.  deutsch.  Morgerd.  Ges.  vol.  iii.  pp.  38-40. 

VOL.  IV.  F 


82 


PALESTINE. 


in  the  neighbourhood  of  Jerusalem.  Following  the  southern 
border  of  the  valley  indicated  just  above,  a  short  distance 
brings  one  to  the  so-called  tombs  of  the  kings,  known  other¬ 
wise  as  Helena’s  grave.  The  spot  lies  forty  paces  east  of 
the  Damascus  road,  and  eleven  hundred  paces  north  of  the 
Damascus  gate.  This  whole  space  would  be  ascribed  to  the 
former  northern  portion  of  the  city,  of  which  we  have  already 
spoken,  if  the  course  of  Agrippa’s  wall,  as  traced  by  Schultz, 
coincided  with  the  natural  boundaries. 

From  the  tombs  north  of  the  city  to  the  city  itself  the 
Damascus  road  runs,  while  north  of  the  tombs  there  may  be 
seen  traces  of  an  ancient  highway  passing  along  the  line  of 
the  watershed.  A  gentle  hollow  or  furrow  may  be  traced 
as  far  as  to  the  eminence  on  which  stands  the  north-western 
portion  of  the  city,  with  the  remains  of  the  third  or  Agrippa 
wall  (the  Psephinos  near  the  Goliath  citadel).  On  the  west 
of  the  Damascus  gate  this  gentle  depression  deepens  into  a 
perceptible  basin  or  valley,  which  passes  southward  through 
the  city  from  that  gate,  and  issues  at  the  Ain  Silwan  as  the 
indisputable  Tyropoeon  of  Josephus.  Between  the  north¬ 
west  corner  of  the  wall,  near  the  Latin  Convent  and  the 
Damascus  gate,  the  watchful  Gadow  discovered  some  ruined 
cisterns  buried  among  the  tangled  roots  of  a  very  high  and 
large  tree  (the  great  terebinth  mentioned  by  Robinson), 
which  threw  its  shade  gratefully  around,  and  afforded  him 
a  fine  resting-place,  whence,  as  the  sun  was  gilding  the 
west  with  his  declining  rays,  he  could  look  out  and  enjoy 
the  prospect.  He  also  mentioned  the  line  of  old  walls,  which 
lies  about  ten  paces  outside  of  the  new  one,  and  forms  the 
border  of  a  low  terrace  mentioned  some  pages  further  back.1 

Wilson,  who  also  noticed  carefully  the  same  part  of  the 
city  which  seemed  to  Bartlett,  generally  so  prompt  to  see  what 
was  noteworthy,  not  particularly  interesting,  says  of  the  wall 
which  bounds  the  city  on  the  north-wTest,  and  which  had  been 
examined  with  very  little  care,  that  he  thought  it  well  worthy 
of  careful  study,  with  a  view  to  determine  the  line  of  ancient 
circumvallation.  About  three  hundred  feet  south-west  of 

1  Gadow,  i.a.l.  iii.  p.  41. 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


83 


the  Damascus  gate,  he  noticed  that  the  stones  bore  in  many 
places  marks  of  great  antiquity.1  He  was  led  to  the  conjec¬ 
ture,  that  the  Saracens  merely  made  their  notches  in  the  old 
wall,  in  order  to  make  it  resemble  the  new  parts  which  they 
were  building ;  and  that  from  this  cause  the  great  antiquity 
of  this  part  of  the  wall  has  been  overlooked.  He  thinks  it 
evidently  a  portion  of  the  second  wall,  described  by  Josephus. 

This  Damascus  gate,  according  to  Bartlett,  is  a  fine 
piece  of  Saracenic  architecture;  but  Robinson 2  has  the  credit 
of  first  calling  attention  to  the  fact  that  it  dates  back  to  a 
still  more  remote  antiquity  than  Bartlett  supposes.  Every 
one  had  noticed  the  large  old-hewn  stones  which  lay  within 
the  gate,  on  the  east  side  ;  but  on  going  round  them  and 
exploring  them,  he  discovered  a  square  dark  room,  evidently 
in  close  connection  with  the  wall.  Its  sides  wTere  of  the 
same  character  with  the  corners  of  the  temple  enclosure :  the 
stones  of  colossal  size,  bevelled,  and  nicely  finished,  clearly 
resembling  the  carefully  executed  work  which  he  had  noticed 
in  the  Hippicus  tower,  but  evidently  of  an  older  date.  A 
staircase  close  by  leads  to  the  top  of  the  wall,  and  is  of  the 
same  architectural  appearance.  On  the  west  side  of  the  gate 
there  is  a  second  chamber,  similar  in  appearance  to  the  first, 
but  much  changed  by  modern  alterations.  The  old  stones  of 
six,  seven,  and  eight  feet  in  length  are  undisturbed,  however : 
they  seem  to  be  the  relics  of  towers  erected  before  the  time 
of  Herod,  or,  it  may  be,  the  remains  of  the  watch-towers  of  a 
former  gate,  which,  according  to  Robinson’s  theory,  could 
only  have  belonged  to  the  second  wall,  of  which,  however,  he 
failed  to  detect  the  least  trace  in  any  other  part  of  the  city. 
It  is  plain,  therefore,  that  in  lack  of  any  adequate  data,  all 
efforts  to  reconstruct  that  wall  on  a  chart  must  be  hypo¬ 
thetical  ;  although  some  of  the  later  antiquarians  believe  that 
they  have  here  and  there  liscovered  traces  of  it. 

According  to  the  view  of  one  of  the  latest  observers — 
Krafft — who  leans  to  the  theory  of  the  extension  of  the  city 
northward  to  Agrippa's  wall  as  located  by  Schultz,  the  third 

1  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible,  i.  p.  421 ;  Bartlett,  Walks,  etc.,  p.  131. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  313. 


84 


PALESTINE. 


wall  and  not  the  second  coincides  with  the  present  one,  the 
one  built  by  the  Turks  under  Suleiman.  His  main  reason 
for  forming  this  conjecture  is,  that  the  Turks  could  find  no 
better  line  of  fortification  than  the  ancient  Romans,  or  than 
the  Jewish  defenders  of  the  city.  There  is  no  part  of  the 
whole  city  and  the  district  adjacent  more  favourably  situated 
than  those  chosen  by  the  Turks ;  and  as  a  strong  natural 
position  was  lacking  at  the  north-west  corner,  the  deficiency 
must  always  have  been  made  good  by  such  strongholds  as  the 
Psephinos  and  the  Goliath  citadel. 

The  weakest  spot  of  all  was  the  one  where  the  wall 
crossed  the  shallow  wadi  of  the  Tyropoeon  in  the  neighbour¬ 
hood  of  the  Damascus  gate.  Krafft 1  conjectures  that  that 
is  the  reason  for  the  occurrence  there  of  the  colossal  stones 
on  which  the  Damascus  gate  now  rests,  and  which  once 
played  a  prominent  part,  it  would  seem,  in  the  defence  of 
that  part  of  the  city. 

This  Bab  Amud  el  Ghurab  of  the  Arabic  authors  (Mejer 
ed  Din),  the  present  Bab  el  Amud,  i.e.  Pillared  Gate, 
derives  its  name  from  the  decoration  of  its  pinnacles.  Two 
towers,  says  Krafft,  stand  fifty  feet  apart,  and  on  both  sides, 
having  very  strong  foundations,  and  connected  with  the  side 
chambers,  in  which  Robinson  was  led  to  see  more  plainly 
than  any  one  had  before  done,  by  noticing  the  exterior,  the 
peculiarities  of  the  architecture.  Traces  of  pipes  have  been 
found  in  the  eastern  tower,  probably  used  to  conduct  water 
to  cisterns. 

The  large  quarried  stones  which  are  seen  in  these  towers 
are  some  four  feet  high,  in  part  furrowed  at  the  edges,  and 
roughly  brought  out  in  relief  at  the  corners,  yet  on  the  whole 
more  rudely  executed  than  those  at  the  Haram.  Wilson  thinks 
that  they  bear  traces  of  the  chisel,  which  would  make  them 
more  analogous  to  the  results  of  Saracen  workmanship.  He 
believes  that  he  sees  in  this  gate  the  gate  of  Ephraim  of  the 
Old  Testament,  because,  looking  northward  as  it  does,  it  seems 
to  indicate  the  way  to  the  capital  of  Israel.  Unquestionably 
it  was  once  the  main  place  of  exit  for  those  going  northward 
1  Krafft,  Topogr.  pp.  42,  131. 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


85 


to  Nablus,  by  way  of  Eamali  and  Gibeali  (now  Jeba)  ;  and 
westward,  by  way  of  Gibeon  and  Antipatris,  over  tlie  same 
road  along  wliicli  the  Apostle  Paul  was  carried  as  a  prisoner 
to  Caesarea. 

Titus,  on  his  approach  to  Jerusalem,  advanced  from 
Gibeath  Saul,  where  his  camp  was,  on  a  tour  of  reconnais¬ 
sance,  accompanied  by  a  guard  of  chosen  men.  So  long  as 
he  held  his  course  over  the  main  road,  no  one  appeared  before 
the  gate.  But  as  he  turned  his  course  westward  towards  the 
Psephinos  Tower,  there  suddenly  issued  from  the  gate  op¬ 
posite  to  Helena’s  tomb,  and  between  the  “Women’s  Towers,” 
according  to  Josephus,  a  strong  body  of  Jewish  warriors,  who 
divided  his  band,  cutting  off  those  in  advance  from  those  in 
the  rear,  and  putting  the  emperor  in  the  greatest  peril.  He 
succeeded,  however,  by  dint  of  great  personal  bravery,  in 
breaking  through  their  ranks  and  effecting  his  escape.  It 
is  only  this  Damascus  gate,  whose  two  side  towers  closely 
correspond  with  the  tAvo  mentioned  by  Josephus,  the  7 vvcuk&ol 
Trvp<yoL ,  Avhich  can  be  thought  to  have  been  the  place  of  exit 
for  the  Jews  eimaned  in  this  sortie. 

O  O 

East  of  the  gate  there  is  a  great  cistern,  the  remains,  it 
may  be,  of  a  ditch  or  fosse  once  excavated  from  the  rock, 
which  made  the  towers,  situated  in  a  natural  depression, 
seem  still  higher,  and  gave  them  increased  strength  for 
military  purposes.  Gadow  did  not  fail  to  observe,  that  the 
rooms  which  are  contained  in  the  two  sides  of  the  gate  are 
lower  than  the  level  of  the  street.  In  his  map  he  has  drawn 
this  cistern  or  basin,  whose  original  purpose  is  somewhat 
obscure,  as  a  broad,  deep  excavation  ;  and  remarks  that  its 
southern  side  is  the  solid  rock  on  which  the  city  wall  stands. 
This  wide,  deep  excavation  forms  a  part  of  the  ditch  which 
extends  along  the  city  wall ;  yet  its  south-eastern  corner 
sweeps  around  in  the  form  of  a  bow,  and  displays  lines 
chiselled  in  the  stone,  which  lead  to  the  suspicion  that  they 
Avere  once  used  to  support  some  kind  of  Avood-Avork  frame. 
The  northern  border  of  the  deep  excavation  is  at  present 
partially  buried  beneath  the  rubbish  which  has  been  heaped 
up  there;  but  it  shows  that  its  height  is  just  about  the  same 


86 


PALESTINE. 


as  that  of  the  two  chambers  which  have  been  brought  to 
light  within  the  two  towers.  A  flight  of  steps  leads  down  to 
the  great  cistern,  and  to  an  arch  which  is  in  it,  and  which  is 
supported  by  a  single  pillar. 

Not  far  from  this  point  northward  lies  the  so-called  grotto 
or  cave  of  Jeremiah,  whose  entrance  is  hewn  through  a  steep 
wall  of  rock,  which  makes  an  impression  as  if  it  were  once  a 
quarry,  since  the  old  quarries  in  this  neighbourhood  are  very 
much  used  for  tombs  and  caves;  while,  on  the  contrary,  the 
old  tombs  and  caves  have  perhaps  ante-dated  the  existence  of 
quarries  opened  where  they  once  had  been.1  This  grotto  is  at 
present  in  the  possession  of  the  Mohammedans,  and  has  been 
used  as  the  burial-place  of  some  of  their  saints.  On  the  eastern 
side  there  is  an  old  broad  cistern,  whose  arch  is  supported  by 
a  single  pillar.  In  the  stillness  of  night,  when  one  lays  his 
ear  to  the  ground  outside  of  the  Damascus  gate,  a  sound  of 
running  water  is  heard.  There  is  an  old  story  related  by 
Antoninus  Martyr,  in  the  year  600,  regarding  a  cave  which 
he  says  lies  by  the  side  of  a  rock  “  near  the  Altar  of 
Abraham,”  a  location  hard  to  make  out:  “Juxta  ipsum 
altare  est  crypta,  ubi,  si  pones  aurem,  audies  flumina  aqua- 
rum,  et  si  jactas  intus  pomum  aut  quod  natare  potest,  vade 
ad  Siloam  fontem  et  ibi  illud  suscipies.”  In  another  passage 
Antoninus  repeats  his  story  respecting  the  water  heard  run¬ 
ning  beneath  the  street  which  passes  the  ruins  of  Solomon’s 
temple,  but  the  spot  is  just  as  difficult  to  localize :  “Ante 
ruinas  vero  templi  Salomonis  sub  platea  aqua  decurrit  ad 
fontem  Siloam  secus  porticum  Salomonis.”  2 

Statements  in  confirmation  of  these  singular  facts  have 
been  made  by  Robinson  and  Wolcott,  subsequently  by  Gadow, 
and  still  more  recently  by  other  travellers,  which,  when  com¬ 
bined,  give  much  interest  to  the  position  of  the  Damascus 
gate  and  its  immediate  neighbourhood,  since  these  seem  to 
give  the  key  to  the  account  of  the  water-works  constructed 
by  Hezekiah,  and  at  the  same  time  appear  to  show  us  the 
true  commencement  of  the  Tyropoeon. 

1  Schultz,  Jerusalem ,  p.  35. 

2  Antoninus  Martyr,  I  tin.  pp.  15,  18. 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


87 


The  first  important  discoveries  of  a  subterranean  canal 
were  made  by  Robinson  and  Eli  Smith1  outside  of  the  southern 
part  of  the  city.  It  conducts  the  waters  of  the  Virgin’s  Spring 
to  Siloah.  Its  discovery  led  the  way  to  further  inquiries  where 
the  first  source  is  to  be  found.  It  was  traced  farther  back, 
and  a  body  of  water  was  discovered  deep  below  the  rocks  of  the 
Mosque  of  Omar,  on  the  city  side  of  the  temple  enclosure ;  the 
medicinal  springs  are  fed  by  it  at  a  distance  of  only  a  hundred 
and  twenty-five  feet  from  the  western  side  of  this  enclosure. 

In  January  1842,  Mr  Wolcott  undertook  an  exploration 
of  these  watercourses,  and  carried  out  the  bold  scheme,  though 
not  without  danger.3  He  was  let  down  into  a  well  eighty 
feet  deep,  situated  in  the  heart  of  the  Turkish  quarter;  he 
then  followed  the  watercourse  horizontally  for  a  distance  of 
a  hundred  and  twenty-four  feet  eastward,  until  he  came  to 
other  borings  leading  to  the  west  wall  of  the  Haram ;  yet  he 
had  to  turn  and  retrace  his  steps  at  a  distance  of  forty  feet 
from  that  wall,  and  failed  in  effecting  a  passage  as  far  as  to 
the  reservoirs  which  are  supposed  to  exist  below  the  Mosque 
of  Omar. 

Robinson  had  already  known  of  this  deep  and  well-sup¬ 
plied  well,  from  which  the  neighbouring  baths  are  daily 
furnished  with  water  brought  by  peasants,  but  he  did  not 
succeed  in  obtaining  more  particular  information.  These 
baths  are  the  so-called  mineral  ones  of  Hammam  es  Shefat. 
The  way  thither  is  through  the  now  ruined  Cotton  Bazaar, 
which  is  located  near  the  Cotton  Gate  (Bab  el  Katanin).  The 
building  of  this  well  so  near  to  the  Haram,  together  with  two 
other  marble  wells,  is  ascribed  by  Mejr  ed  Din  to  the  Sultan 
Selim  i. ;  and  this  is  confirmed  by  the  Jewish  pilgrim  Jichus 
ha-Abot,3  who  wrote  in  1537,  The  Bab  el  Katanin  had,  how¬ 
ever,  been  restored  in  1537  by  a  Sultan  Mohammed,  a  son  of 
Kelavun,  in  1387.  What  Wolcott  was  obliged  to  leave  in¬ 
complete,  Tobler  completed 4  under  more  favourable  circum- 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  343-349. 

2  Wolcott,  Bib.  Sacra ,  1843,  Feb.  pp.  24-28. 

3  Carmoly,  I  tin.  Jichus  ha-Abot ,  pp.  436,  437,  Note  43,  p.  468. 

4  Tobler,  in  Ausland,  1848,  No.  19,  p.  73. 


88 


PALESTINE. 


stances  in  March  1846.  He  names  the  medical  baths  of  Ain 
es  Shefa  u  the  Hygsean  Springs.”  He  descended  into  the 
deep  well  in  order  to  trace  it  to  the  “  water  chamber  of 
the  rocks.”  Without  difficulty,  says  his  brief  account,  he 
passed  through  the  watercourse,  lying  far  below  the  surface, 
following  no  straight  line,  but  turning  a  sharp  angle,  till  at 
length  he  reached  a  cistern  in  the  rocks.  The  measurements 

O 

which  he  made,  and  the  direction  of  the  needle,  showed  him 
that  it  lay  west  of  the  temple  area,  and  outside  of  it.  He 
was  unable  to  learn  whether  in  the  dry  season  the  water 
sinks  very  low  in  this  cistern,  and  after  heavy  rains  rises  so 
much  as  to  throw  its  waters  far  up  beneath  the  site  of  the 
ancient  temple.  A  more  detailed  account  was  promised  by 
Tobler  in  his  full  description  of  Jerusalem. 

The  lack  in  local  springs  which  characterizes  the  soil  of 
Jerusalem  was  made  good  by  cisterns,  reservoirs,  and  aque¬ 
ducts,  which  are  among  the  greatest  local  peculiarities  of  the 
city,  and  which  have  had  the  most  momentous  influence  on  its 
history.  The  want  of  brooks  in  the  neighbourhood ;  the  great 
differences  in  the  amount  of  rain  that  falls,  and  the  verv  small 
aggregate  which  characterizes  some  years ;  the  deficiency  in 
fountains  ;  the  number  of  cisterns,  with  one  or  more  of  which 
almost  every  house  in  the  city  is  supplied ;  the  size  of  some  of 
the  subterranean  reservoirs — the  one,  for  example,  near  the 
so-called  Treasure  House  of  Helena,  to  which  fifty-two  steps1 
descend  before  the  surface  of  the  water  is  reached ;  and,  in 
addition  to  this,  the  immense  supplies  of  water  which  we 
know  from  the  records  of  Jewish  antiquity  and  the  middle 
ages  were  stored  beneath  the  Haram  and  the  temple  terrace ; 2 
the  great  pools  still  visible,  from  the  colossal  ones  known  as 
Solomon’s  near  Bethlehem,  to  those  of  various  size  in  and 
around  Jerusalem; — all  these  things,  when  combined,  and 
studied  in  their  relation  to  the  history  of  the  city,  solve  many 
an  obscure  question,  and  enable  us  to  understand  how  it  was 
that  armed  foes  sometimes  surrounded  the  city,  and  were 
compelled  to  withdraw  from  a  lack  of  water,  while  those 

1  Krafft,  Topog.  p.  183. 

2  Williams,  Holy  City ,  ii.  p.  462. 


CIRCUIT  OF  TI1E  PRESENT  WALLS. 


89 


within  were  amply  supplied.  It  cannot  be  denied  that  a 
natural  valley  like  the  Tyropoeon,  which  crossed  the  city  from 
north  to  south,  was  especially  well  adapted  to  supply  Jeru¬ 
salem  with  water,  if  the  art  of  man  was  advanced  enough  to 
ensure  the  perpetuity  of  the  supply. 

This  shallow  depression,  which  extends  from  the  Damascus 
gate  southward,  and  which  seems  admirably  adapted  by  nature 
to  gather  into  itself  an  ample  supply  of  rain-water,  would  be 
still  more  adapted  for  its  purpose  by  deepening  the  channel. 
Such  a  hypothesis  is  fully  supported  by  statements  made  in 
the  Old  Testament ;  for  if  Solomon  supplied  the  city  with 
water  at  the  period  of  its  greatest  splendour,  Ilezekiah  thought 
upon  the  problem  in  the  time  of  distress,  how  to  cut  off  the 
water  which  was  brought  into  Jerusalem  on  the  northern  side 
from  the  advancing  enemy,  and  to  accumulate  it  within  the 
city  for  the  use  of  the  people.  It  is  on  this  undertaking  that 
his  fame  mainly  rests,1  and  we  find  marked  allusions  to  it  in 
the  books  of  Kings,  Chronicles,  and  Ecclesiasticus. 

Under  Ahaz  (b.c.  741-726),  the  father  of  Ilezekiah, 
Jerusalem  was  threatened  with  an  assault,  evidently  on  the 
north  side,  by  the  combined  forces  of  Rezin  king  of  Syria, 
and  Pekali  king  of  Israel.  The  prophet  Isaiah  received 
command  to  go  out  to  Ahaz  “  at  the  end  of  the  conduit  of 
the  upper  pool  in  the  highway  of  the  fullers’  field,”  and  to 
bid  him  have  no  fear,  but  to  take  courage,  for  the  victory 
would  be  in  his  hands.  Ahaz  had  unquestionably  gone  out 
at  the  northern  gate  to  the  place  wdiere  he  must  meet  the 
enemy  on  their  approach,  and  where  lay  the  upper  pool  and 
its  pipes,  in  order  to  see  how  he  might  cut  off  the  supply  of 
water,  and  strengthen  the  city  more  perfectly.  But  Ahaz,2 
not  daring  to  trust  himself  to  the  promises  of  Isaiah,  made  a 
treaty  with  Tiglath-pileser,  the  king  of  Assyria,  purchasing 
his  good  services  with  treasures  from  the  palace  and  temple. 
The  Assyrian  monarch,  in  fulfilment  of  his  share  of  the 
agreement,  attacked  the  enemy,  and  compelled  Rezin  and 
Pekah  to  withdraw  to  their  own  country,  in  order  to  defend 

1  Gesenius,  Comment,  zu  Jesaias,  i.  pp.  C91,  C92. 

2  Krafffc,  Topogr.  p.  114. 


90 


PALESTINE. 


it  against  him.  By  this  step  Ahaz  became  a  vassal  of  Tiglath- 
pileser,  and  paid  him  homage  at  Damascus ;  and  in  order  to 
remain  more  sure  of  a  continuance  of  his  protection,  he  intro¬ 
duced  the  heathen  worship,  and  brought  disgrace  upon  the 
temple  of  God  (2  Kings  xvi.  12). 

After  the  death  of  Ahaz,  Hezekiah  his  son  purified  the 
worship  of  Jehovah  from  the  idolatries  which  his  father  had 
introduced,  and  threw  off  the  yoke  of  vassalage  to  the  Assyrian 
monarch,  after  Shalmaneser  had  utterly  destroyed  the  rival 
kingdom  of  Israel.  The  result  was,  that  in  the  fourteenth 
year  of  Hezekiah’ s  reign,  Sennacherib  attempted  the  subju¬ 
gation  of  Judah  and  the  capture  of  Jerusalem;  but  before 
attacking  the  Jewish  capital,  he  passed  onward  to  Egypt, 
with  the  hope  of  conquering  Tirhakah,  the  monarch  of  that 
country.  Anticipating  a  future  attack  from  the  Assyrians, 
Hezekiah  took  counsel  with  his  chiefs  (2  Cliron.  xxxii.  2-6), 
and  decided  “  to  stop  the  waters  of  the  fountains  which  were 
without  the  city ;  and  they  did  help  him.  So  there  was 
gathered  much  people  together,  who  stopped  all  the  fountains, 
and  the  brook  which  ran  through  the  midst  of  the  land  [the 
Kedron,  or  the  waters  of  the  Siloah  spring,  which  may  have 
been  uncovered  at  that  time,  and  been  in  full  sight],  saying, 
Why  should  the  kings  of  Assyria  come,  and  find  much  water? 
And  he  strengthened  himself,  and  built  up  the  wall  that 
was  broken,  and  raised  it  up  to  the  towers,  and  another  wall 
without  [this  Schultz  considers  the  second  wall  of  Josephus],1 
and  repaired  Millo  in  the  city  of  David,  and  made  darts  and 
shields  in  abundance.” 

The  carrying  out  of  this  plan,  whose  object  was  to  cut 
the  enemies  outside  the  city  off  from  supplies  of  water,  while 
the  people  within  should  have  an  abundance,  was  what 
ensured  to  Hezekiah  his  greatest  fame,  as  we  learn  from 
2  Chron.  xxxii.  30,  2  Kings  xx.  20.  This  is  confirmed  by 
the  language  of  Ecclus.  xlv-iii.  17:  “He  fortified  the  city, 
and  brought  in  water  into  the  midst  thereof  :  he  digged 
the  hard  rock  with  iron,  and  made  wells  for  waters.”  In  the 
statement  made  in  Chronicles,  we  are  expressly  told  that  the 

1  Scliultz,  Jerusalem,  p.  88. 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


91 


course  of  the  channels  which,  he  opened  was  from  north  to 
south.  The  words  are :  he  “  stopped  the  upper  watercourse 
of  Gihon,  and  brought  it  straight  down  to  the  west  side  of 
the  city  of  David.”  When  the  Assyrian  king  had  passed 
victoriously  over  southern  Judah,  taking  many  of  the  forti¬ 
fied  cities,  instead  of  turning  directly  up  towards  Jerusalem, 
he  went  on  as  far  as  Lachish,  in  order  to  attack  Tirhakah 
the  Egyptian  monarch.  Here,  however,  he  was  brought  to 
a  halt.  He  then  sent  his  ministers  Rabshakeh  and  Tartan 
to  Jerusalem,  to  have  a  conference  with  king  Hezekiah,  and 
to  demand  tribute  and  auxiliaries.  The  interview  took  place 
at  “the  conduit  of  the  upper  pool,  in  the  highway  of  the 
fullers’  field”  (Isa.  xxxvi.  2).  But  in  spite  of, all  the  threaten- 
ings  of  the  Assyrian  princes  and  their  master,  and  in  spite  of 
the  formidable  display  of  their  immense  army  of  185,000 
men  encamped  on  the  plain  before  Jerusalem,  the  city  was 
spared;  for  we  read  in  Isa.  xxxvii.  3G,  that  the  angel  of  the 
Lord  passed  through  the  enemy’s  camp  in  the  night,  and 
smote  the  whole  army.  The  Assyrian  king  escaped,  and  fled 
to  Nineveh.  This  rescuing  from  impending  destruction  is 
referred  to  in  the  reproaches  poured  out  in  Isa.  xxii.  9—11 
upon  those  timid  souls  who  lost  all  confidence  in  God,  and 
all  remembrance  of  Him.  But,  in  the  words  of  the  verses 
cited,  there  are  some  marked  indications  of  the  situation  of 
the  upper  pool,  and  of  the  collecting  of  water,  after  the  closing 
of  the  “  old  pool,”  in  a  new  reservoir  within  the  city,  and 
between  the  two  walls.  The  locality  here  indicated  appears 
from  historic  reasons,  and  from  the  apparent  connection  of 
the  place  with  the  Potters’  Field,  to  have  been  beyond  all 
question  north  of  the  city,  and  before  the  Damascus  gate. 
The  fact  that  the  Assyrians  encamped  there  is  confirmed  by 
Josephus,1  who  states  that  Titus  took  up  his  position  in  the 
same  place  which  had  once  been  held  by  the  Assyrians  for 
that  purpose.  This  may,  with  Schultz,2  be  located  more  on 
the  west  side  of  the  gate,  and  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 

O  J  O 

present  Latin  Convent,  or  with  Krafft,  on  the  east  side  near  the 

1  Krafft,  Topogr.  p.  47. 

2  Schultz,  Jerusalem ,  pp.  72-74 ;  Krafft,  Topogr.  pp.  81-83. 


92 


PALESTINE. 


Kedron  valley ;  yet  the  main  fact  is  unchanged,  only  so  far 
as  it  may  be  affected  by  the  allusions  to  the  Potters’  Field,  the 
Fullers’  Field,  the  Dyers’  Field,  and  the  local  monuments  of 
the  place.  The  same  doubt  rests  upon  the  locality  of  the  royal 
caves  mentioned  by  Josephus,  and  which  he  once  calls  the 
Tombs  of  Flerod,  but  which,  in  his  description  of  the  begin¬ 
ning  and  the  end  of  the  wall  which  Titus  erected  to  starve 
the  city  into  surrender,  he  tells  us  lay  at  the  extremity  of  the 
military  lines.  Schultz  looked  for  these  on  the  west  side  of 
the  Mamilla  Pool,  but  Krafft  identified  them  with  the  grotto 
of  Jeremiah.1  They  have  only  borne  this  name,  according  to 
him,  since  the  fourteenth  century,  it  having  supplanted  the 
more  ancient  one,  the  “  Poyal  Caverns.”  Their  place  is,  how¬ 
ever,  clearly  designated  by  Josephus,  as,  in  connection  with 
the  u  Tombs  of  Herod,”  he  speaks  of  the  u  Serpents’  Pool,” 
which  indicates  the  great  reservoir  in  front  of  the  Damascus 
gate,  and  the  grotto  of  Jeremiah,  and  the  situation  of  the 
old  pool  of  Ilezekiah’s  times,  even  though  under  a  changed 
name.2 

This  great  cistern  is  a  mere  temporary  and  casual  recep¬ 
tacle  for  water :  it  is  always  full,  and  the  taste  of  the  water 
in  it  is  said  by  all  to  correspond  with  that  of  the  Virgin’s 
Fountain  and  that  of  Siloah.  This  taste  is  a  very  peculiar 
one;°  and  a  chemical  examination  might  show  that  the  com¬ 
ponents  are  identical,  and  that  they  must  have  a  common 
source.  The  current  story  of  the  Jerusalemites,  reported  by 
Gadow,  Krafft  found  to  be  true,  that  if  one  puts  his  ear  to 
the  ground  on  going  out  from  the  Damascus  gate,  and  bear¬ 
ing  a  little  to  the  right,  he  hears  the  sound  of  running  water, 
which  may  be  traced  through  the  middle  of  the  city  as  far  as 
below  es-Sakrali,  i.e.  the  rock  where  the  springs  are  found, 
below  the  Mosque  of  Omar.  This  story,  which  I  have  al¬ 
ready  cited  from  Antoninus  Martyr,  is  repeated  in  the  Arab 
Mejr  ed  Din’s  description  of  Jerusalem,  written  in  1495,  who, 
in  his  account  of  the  Magliar  Katanin,  i.e.  Grotte  de  Cotton, 
by  which  he  seems  to  mean  the  neighbourhood  of  Jeremiah’s 

1  Krafft,  Topogr.  p.  220.  2  Ibid.  p.  220. 

8  Williams,  Holy  City ,  ii.  p.  455. 


CIRCUIT  OF  HIE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


93 


cave,  writes  these  remarkable  words  :  u  Opposite  es-Sakrah, 
above  the  north  side  of  the  city  wall,  there  is  a  large  and 
long  cave,  called  the  Katanin,  or  Cotton  Grotto,  of  which 
some  assert  that  it  follows  a  subterranean  course  till  it  reaches 
the  rock  es-Sakrah  below.  It  has  unquestionably  received 
its  name  from  the  circumstance  that  its  direction  is  towards 
the  Mosque  Kubbet  es  Sukhra,  since  the  same  authority  speaks 
of  a  Cotton  Gate  on  the  west  side  of  the  Haram.”1  Of  this 
Cotton  Gate,  Jichus  ha-Abot2 3  says  that  it  is  so  named  from 
the  cotton  bazaar  close  by,  to  which  it  leads,  where  was  one  of 
the  three  most  copious  marble  fountains  erected  by  the  Sultan 
Selim  i. :  unquestionably  the  same  with  the  one  discovered 
by  Wolcott,  and  which,  according  to  Williams,  is  used  at  the 
present  time  to  supply  the  Healing  Baths  (Hammam  es  Shefa). 
These  three  wells  in  the  western  neighbourhood  of  the  temple 
enclosure  pour  their  waters,  according  to  Mejr  ed  Din,  into 
basins  of  white  marble,  and  supply  the  wants  of  Jews,  Arabs, 
and  Christians.  He  adds,  that  in  the  mosque  there  were 
thirty-four  cisterns  in  which  water  was  collected.  Robinson,0 
to  whom  the  investigation  of  this  subject  is  indebted  for  an 
entirely  new  impulse,  made  preparations  for  extensive  re¬ 
searches  regarding  the  supply  of  water  for  Jerusalem,  but 
he  was  hindered  by  external  circumstances.  He  called  par¬ 
ticular  attention  to  a  remarkable  passage  in  Tacitus,  Hist.  v. 
12 — 11  Templum  in  modum  arcis.  .  .  .  Fons  perennis  aquae, 
cavati  sub  terra  montes,  et  piscinae  cisternaeque  servandis 
imbribus,”  etc. — which  probably  shows  that  he  was  acquainted 
with  a  fact  which  was  entrusted  as  a  secret  to  the  high  priest, 
and  of  which  Josephus  does  not  seem  to  have  ventured  to 
speak.  Robinson  also  pointed  out  the  statement  made  by 
Aristeas,  a  priest  of  the  time  of  Ptolemy  Philadelphus  (285 
B.C.),  who  visited4  Jerusalem,  and  who,  although  with  some 

1  Schultz,  Jerus.  pp.  35-37  ;  Williams,  Holy  City ,  i.  App.  ii.  ;  Mejr 
ed  Din,  pp.  150,  163. 

2  Carmoly,  Itin.  cited  as  above. 

3  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  163. 

4  Aristeas,  De  Legis  divinx  translations  in  Joseplii  Opp.  ii.  p.  112 ; 
Lightfoot,  Opp.  i.  612. 


94 


PALESTINE. 


exaggeration  it  may  be,  yet  remains  an  authentic  authority 
regarding  the  position  of  the  city,  the  temple,  and  Akra.  Yet 
Robinson  grants  that  all  the  circumstances,  taken  together, 
make  it  not  improbable  that  there  was  once,  and  still  is,  a 
hidden  channel  through  which  the  water  flows  from  the  deep 
reservoirs  under  the  mosque  to  the  Tyropoeon  valley.  But 
from  what  region  they  are  conducted  to  these  cavernous 
reservoirs,  is  a  question  still  beset  with  the  greatest  difficulties. 
That  the  whole  was  artificial,  he  adds,  there  is  little  reason 
to  doubt ;  and  it  could  perhaps  be  suspected  with  good  reason 
that  these  water-passages  were  connected  with  the  old  Gihon 
spring  on  the  high  ground  west  of  the  city.  To  me,  how¬ 
ever,  it  seems  much  more  probable,  much  more  conformable 
to  all  the  conditions  of  the  case,  that  they  were  connected 
with  the  north  side  of  Jerusalem. 

Aristeas  relates,1  among  other  things,  that  beneath  the 
temple  there  is  a  constant  supply  of  water,  as  if  a  profuse 
natural  spring  were  throwing  up  its  waters  there.  His  words 
may  be  taken,  however,  to  mean,  that  instead  of  there  being 
such  a  spring,  there  is  the  free  outflowing  of  water  from  a 
conduit.  He  remarks  that  there  are  wonderful  and  indeed 
indescribable  reservoirs  under  the  earth,  found  within  a  circle 
of  five  stadia  from  the  foundation  of  the  temple.  These 
reservoirs  are  connected  together  by  means  of  pipes;  their 
bottoms  and  walls  are  covered  with  lead,  while  they  themselves 
lie  beneath  deep  accumulations  of  earth.  Numerous  openings 
lead  to  them,  but  these  openings  are  all  out  of  sight,  and  are 
only  known  to  those  whose  duty  it  is  to  attend  to  them. 
Aristeas  goes  on  to  state  what  he  has  learned  regarding  the 
aqueducts  employed  to  conduct  the  water :  u  More  than  four 
stadia  from  the  temple,  and  outside  of  the  wall,  I  was  bidden 
to  kneel  and  listen.  I  heard  the  sound  of  running  water,  and 
I  understood  that  I  must  have  been  right  regarding  the  size 
of  the  main  canal  as  I  have  already  given  it.” 

The  cistern  at  the  Damascus  gate,  says  Krafft,  is  about 
four  stadia  from  the  temple;  and  he  does  not  doubt  that 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Researches ,  i.  p.  345,  Note  2 ;  Krafft,  Topogr.  p. 
131  ;  Williams,  Holy  City ,  ii.  p.  462. 


CIRCUIT  OF  THE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


95 


Aristeas  was  conducted  to  this  point,  and  perhaps  a  little 
way  farther  north,  and  that  he  heard  that  rushing  sound 
which  is  heard  even  now  at  certain  times.  This  is  probably 
the  same  channel  which  was  stopped  by  Hezekiah — the  upper 
outlet  of  Gilion  ;  the  brook  which  “  flows  through  the  land  ” 
which  Hezekiah  covered  (2  Chron.  xxxii.  4);  the  ditch  which 
Isaiah  mentions  (xxii.  11),  which  was  made  between  the  two 
walls  for  the  water  of  the  a  old  pooh”  How  the  stopping 
and  covering  of  such  watercourses  from  the  upper  to  the 
lower  pool  was  effected  by  means  of  subterranean  chambers,1 
is  shown  by  the  example  already  cited  of  the  cisterns  of 
Solomon  at  Etham.  From  it  we  can  study  with  an  almost 
assured  feeling  of  certainty  the  manner  in  which  Hezekiah 
accomplished  the  great  operations  which  made  his  reign  so 
conspicuous.  That  the  pipes  which  convey  water  to  all 
sides  of  the  Haram  run  more  naturally  down  the  Tyropoeon 
valley  from  the  Damascus  gate  than  from  the  Zion  side,  is 
now,  I  think,  evident.  The  writings  of  the  Talmudists  are 
full  of  allusions  to  a  vast  system  of  water  conduits  under 
the  temple,  which  indeed  the  great  number  of  sacrifices 
and  the  later  uses  of  the  Haram  rendered  necessary ;  and 
in  all  the  history  of  the  place,  while  there  have  been  during 
times  of  siege  many  instances  of  suffering  from  a  lack  of 
food,  there  is  not  one  of  a  scanty  supply  of  water.  And 
even  now  it  is  a  noticeable  fact,  that  the  three  most  profuse 
sources  around  the  temple  enclosure  yield  a  water  with  the 
peculiar,  insipid,  and  salt  taste  of  Siloah.  This  Robinson 
noticed  at  the  well  known  as  Hammam  es  Shefa,2  and  Krafft 
at  the  cistern  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  old  pool,  between 
the  Damascus  ga te  and  the  cave  of  Jeremiah.  The  natural 
inference  from  this  is,  that  the  water  in  all  comes  from  a 
common  source.  On  the  north  side  of  the  temple  enclosure 
and  the  Serai,  i.e.  the  dwelling  of  the  Turkish  governors 
(the  Pretorium  of  the  Roman  epoch,  where  Pilate’s  house  is 
located),  there  is  a  very  deep  and  profusely  supplied  well,  of 
great  width  from  north  to  south,  and  cut  in  the  solid  rock. 
It  belongs  to  the  partially  ruined  Franciscan  church,  the 
1  Kobinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  346.  2  Ibid.  i.  p.  343. 


96 


PALESTINE. 


Chapel  of  Flagellation,1  on  the  Via  Dolorosa,  and  probably 
receives  its  water  from  an  eastern  arm  of  the  main  channel 
which  runs  alon"  the  west  side  of  the  Idaram.  The  taste  is 

O 

exactly  like  that  of  the  Siloah  spring,  according  to  Williams;2 
so  peculiar,  indeed,  that  it  can  be  confounded  with  no  other. 
The  same  is  true  of  the  well  at  the  so-called  Bab  el  Katanin, 
which  supplies  water  to  the  Healing  Baths  (Hammam  es 
Shefa). 

But  whether  there  is  a  systematic  connection  of  subter¬ 
ranean  water  conduits  permeating  the  entire  city,  and  com¬ 
municating;  between  the  Haram  well  of  es-Sakhrah  and  the 
Siloah  spring  at  the  southern  part  of  the  Tyropoeon,  can  only 
be  determined  in  the  future.  The  prophets  Ezekiel  (xlvii. 
1-12),  Zecliariah  (xiv.  8),  and  others,  draw  impressive  pic¬ 
tures  in  their  visions  of  the  waters  of  true  life  which  stream 
out  from  the  temple;  and  in  the  Apocalypse  (xxii.  1)  we  have 
the  conception  of  a  stream  of  pure  water  flowing  forth  clear 
as  crystal  from  beneath  the  throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb. 

We  now  turn  once  more  to  the  northern  wall  of  the  city, 
on  the  east  side  of  the  Damascus  gate.  There  is  but  a  short 
distance  to  be  traversed  before  we  come  to  the  north-east 
corner,  and  then  rounding  this  to  St  Stephen’s  Gate,  which 
completes  our  circuit  of  the  city.  East  of  the  Damascus 
gate  and  the  so-called  cave  of  Jeremiah,3  which,  although  so 
called,  has  no  historical  connection  with  the  prophet,  the  wall 
makes  a  well-defined  bend,  and  runs  above  a  perpendicular 
wall  of  rock  hewn  by  hand,  and  exhibiting  the  same  stratifica¬ 
tion  as  that  of  the  opposite  wall  of  the  knoll  in  which  the  grotto 
of  Jeremiah  is  seen.  The  height  to  which  the  rock  forma¬ 
tion  is  carried  is  the  same  in  both,  and  they  were  unquestion¬ 
ably  both  connected :  the  passage  which  now  divides  them  is 
artificial,  and  dates  back  to  the  time  of  Herod  Agrippa,  who 
here  erected  his  third  wall,  upon  whose  site  the  present 
Turkish  circumvallation  was  built.  In  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  Maulawiyyeh  Mosque,  at  an  early  period  one  of  the  most 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  252. 

2  Williams,  Holy  City ,  ii.  p.  461. 

3  Gadow,  in  Zeitsch.  d.  deutsch.  Morgenl.  Ges.  iii.  p.  39. 


CIRCUIT  OF  TIIE  PRESENT  WALLS. 


97 


important  Christian  churches,  the  wall  again  runs  in  toward 
the  city ;  yet  the  natural  rock  foundation  on  which  it  stands, 
on  which  towers  stand  which  rise  eighty  or  a  hundred  feet 
above  the  fosse,  extends  as  far  as  to  the  little  Bab  el  Zahari1 
or  Flower  Gate,  which  takes  its  name  from  its  decorations. 
It  is  also  sometimes  called  the  Herod  Gate,  probably  from 
the  palace  of  Herod  Agrippa,  which  is  reputed  to  have  stood 
there.  It  has  been  walled  up  in  our  time  by  Ibrahim  Pasha. 
East  of  it  lie  the  small  pool  known  as  Birket  el  Hijeh,  or 
Haj,  and  the  great  Corner  Tower  of  Josephus,  whose  primi¬ 
tive  foundations  are  perhaps  still  recognisable.  I  have  already 
spoken  of  it,  and  will  therefore  omit  any  further  description 
at  this  time.  This  end  of  the  wall  runs  parallel  with  piles  of 
rock  fragments  and  rubbish,  partly  filling  the  fosse,  which 
is  hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock  along  the  whole  length  of  this 
northern  portion  of  the  wall.  Upon  these  heaps  there  are 
some  olive  trees  growing ;  and  in  the  rainy  season  there  are 
patches  of  barley  and  wheat  extending  to  the  north-east 
corner,  where  we  come  again  to  the  sterile  primitive  rock. 
The  Herod  Gate  is  mentioned  by  the  pilgrims  of  the  middle 
ages,  Arculfus  for  example,  as  the  Porta  Villse  Fullonis, 
because  in  a  side  recess  there  is  a  fuller’s  monument  which 
is  somewhat  visited.  It  may  have  some  connection  with  the 
passages  already  cited  in  Isaiah  relating  to  the  Fullers’  Field, 
and  the  site  of  the  Assyrian  camp.2  It  is  a  simple,  well- 
preserved,  and  large  rock-tomb,  beautifully  environed  by 
olive  trees  and  vines.  East  of  it  are  many  other  similar  re¬ 
mains  of  graves, — objects  of  less  interest,  however.  This  whole 
northern  side  of  the  city  is  dotted  with  groups  of  olive  trees, 
and  traversed  by  beautiful  paths  as  far  as  to  the  north  side 
of  the  cave  of  Jeremiah  and  the  burying-ground  of  the 
Mohammedans.  It  is  a  favourite  evening  resort  of  the  lead¬ 
ing  Moslems  of  the  city.  In  this  same  locality,  that  of  the 
ancient  Fullers’  Field,  may  be  seen  the  Pool  of  the  Soap 
Plant,3  mentioned  by  Josephus,  near  which,  during  the  Roman 

1  Schultz,  Jerusalem ,  p.  37 ;  Krafft,  Topog.  pp.  44-47. 

2  Krafft,  i.a.l.  pp.  118,  121,  138,  etc. 

8  Tobler,  in  Ausland ,  1848,  No.  20,  p.  78. 

VOL.  IV. 


G 


98 


PALESTINE. 


siege,  some  walls  were  thrown  up.  The  word  arpovOtov  is 
said  to  be  the  Greek  name  of  the  Saponaria ,  which  corre¬ 
sponds  to  the  herba  fullonum  alluded  to  in  Isaiah’s  account 
of  the  Fullers’  Field.  Mejr  ed  Din1  says  that  in  the  neigh¬ 
bourhood  of  Bab  el  Zahari  there  were  soap  factories  in  his 
time. 


DISCURSION  IY. 

THE  INTERIOR  OF  THE  CITY  OF  JERUSALEM  :  ITS  PRESENT  PHYSICAL  CHA 
RACTER,  AND  DIVISION  INTO  STREETS  :  EL-WADI,  OR  THE  STREET  OF 
MILLS  ;  THE  TYROPCEON  ;  THE  SITUATION  OF  THE  BATHS  AND  WELLS  ON 
THE  WEST  SIDE  OF  THE  HARAM.  THE  DOUBTFUL  SITUATION  OF  AKRA  ; 
THE  ANTONIA  ;  THE  SERAI  ;  THE  TEMPLE  ENCLOSURE  ON  MOUNT 
MORIAH  ;  AND  THE  MOSQUE  OF  OMAR — KUBBET  ES  SUKHRAH. 

Coming  from  a  survey  of  the  outer  wall  of  the  city,  which 
is  so  extensively  planned  and  executed  as  to  impress  the 
observer  with  the  fact,  confirmed  by  the  character  of  the 
country  immediately  adjacent,  that  the  place  is  by  nature 
a  true  royal  residence ;  and  also  from  the  preliminary  sur¬ 
vey  from  the  Mount  of  Olives  of  the  region  within  the 
range  of  the  eye,  which  shows  the  remarkable  beauty  of 
the  situation, — entering  the  city,  the  piles  of  rubbish  and 
the  narrow  streets  compel  us  to  recognise  the  fact  that  it  is 
no  longer  a  royal  capital,  princely  in  its  magnificence,  but 
a  squalid  town,  which  shows  only  too  plainly  its  humilia¬ 
tion  and  poverty.  As  a  recent  traveller  has  truly  and  beau¬ 
tifully  said,  To  him  who  does  not  see  this  city  with  the  eye 
of  faith,  and  who,  amid  all  the  strife  which  now  divides 
the  church,  does  not  look  forward  to  the  glorious  triumph 
which  awaits  it,  Jerusalem  is  only  a  little  eastern  city 
covered  with  the  wrecks  of  past  desolation,  suffering  under 
want  and  oppression,  and  from  which  the  casual  traveller 
hastens  as  rapidly  as  possible.  But  the  classic  ground,  with 
its  history  extending  over  thousands  of  years,  remains,  under 
all  its  rubbish  and  ruins,  still  classic ;  and  so  it  will  remain, 
rewarding,  as  does  the  equally  imperishable  Rome,  the  patient 
1  Mejr  ed  Din,  in  Williams,  Holy  City,  i.  app.  ii.  p.  159. 


THE  INTERIOR  OF  THE  CITY. 


99 


inquirer  who  penetrates  into  its  deposits  with  discoveries  of 
great  value. 

There  are  a  number  of  circumstances  which  combine  to 
make  it  extremely  difficult  to  overleap  the  present  condition 
of  the  city,  and  to  come  to  results  regarding  its  former 
appearance  which  shall  be  accepted  by  all  as  true.  The  task 
which  I  have  prescribed  to  myself  is  by  no  means  to  enter 
into  all  questions,  and  to  discuss  the  grounds  on  which  they 
rest ;  for  the  ultimate  decision  regarding  them  is  to  be  made 
by  those  who  shall  visit  the  place  itself,  and  enter  into  a 
thorough  examination  of  all  the  topics  involved.  As,  however, 
there  are  certain  names  given  to  the  various  parts  of  the  city, 
and  a  certain  amount  of  knowledge  presupposed  regarding  it, 
I  cannot  avoid,  in  order  to  afford  the  reader  the  opportunity 
of  judging  of  the  disputed  questions  regarding  the  topography 
of  the  city,  giving  a  brief  resume  of  the  subject,  drawn  in 
great  part  from  the  work  of  one  of  the  most  recent  scientific 
travellers,  Dr  Philip  Wolff,  who  in  his  seventeen  brief  papers 
has  condensed  a  great  deal  of  valuable  matter,  and  has  hinted 
at  most  of  the  points  which  are  held  by  some,  and  the  grounds 
on  which  they  are  disputed  and  denied.1 

Fortunately  there  are  some  leading  points,  such  as  Mount 
Zion,  Mount  Moriah,  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  the  Valley 
of  Hinnom,  the  Mount  of  Olives,  the  Tower  of  Hippicus, 
the  Fountain  of  Siloam,  etc.,  regarding  whose  situation  there 
is  no  question ;  on  the  other  hand,  as  we  go  into  the  city,  we 
are  at  once  confronted  with  difficulties  in  making  out  the 
various  details  of  the  topography.  In  the  first  place,2  within 
the  city  there  is  a  lack  of  established  names  for  the  streets, — 
a  want  which  we  feel  at  once  when  we  wish  to  define  in  brief 
terms  the  main  places  of  interest.  The  map  of  the  city  does 
not  by  any  means  remove  this  difficulty;  for  even  in  the 
best  delineation,  the  countless  little  corners  and  inaccessible 
quarters  of  the  city  are  left  in  a  very  imperfect  manner,  and 
throw  little  light  upon  its  topography.  Sometimes  there  is 
an  unexpected  settling  of  the  great  accumulation  of  rubbish, 

1  Dr  Philip  "Wolff,  Reise  in  das  Gelobte  Land ,  pp.  75-39. 

2  Gadow,  Mitth.  iu  Zeitsch.  etc.  iii.  p.  42. 


100 


PALESTINE. 


which  introduces  great  confusion  ;  sometimes  whole  quarters 
of  the  city  are  forbidden  ground  to  the  stranger,  and  can 
only  be  entered  by  the  natives.  Meanwhile  there  is  one 
marked  physical  feature  in  the  city  which  can  be  traced  from 
one  side  to  another :  this  is  the  depression  which  extends  from 
the  Damascus  gate  south-south-eastward,  and  which  in  its 
lowest  portion  forms  unquestionably  the  ancient  Tyropoeon. 
This  divides  this  city  of  hills  into  two  distinct  parts  :  Mount 
Zion,  with  the  high  dome  of  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepul¬ 
chre  and  Golgotha,  on  the  one  side  ;  and  on  the  other  Mount 
Moriah,  with  the  Mosque  of  Omar,  with  Opliel  on  the  south 
and  the  Turkish  government  buildings,  the  Antonia  fortress, 
and  the  Bezetha  quarter  on  the  north.  Akra,  whose  situation 
J osephus  has  so  indefinitely  located,  is  supposed  by  Robinson 
and  Raumer  to  have  been  on  the  west  side ;  by  Williams, 
Schultz,  and  Ivrafft,  to  have  been  on  the  east. 

As  one  leaves  the  Damascus  gate  and  enters  the  city, 
the  street  runs  for  fifty  or  sixty  paces  down  a  gentle  slope 
(according  to  my  view,  down  the  upper  course  of  the  Tyro¬ 
poeon)  to  a  small  open  square,  from  which  five  streets  diverge 
towards  the  south-east,  two  of  them  being  partially  hidden 
by  fragments  of  old  buildings,  lying  nearly  as  low  as  the  two 
side  chambers  of  the  Damascus  gate.1 

The  street  which  runs  southward  from  the  little  square 
just  mentioned,  I  will  speak  of  first.  It  is  generally  called 
the  Damascus  Street,  and  passes  through  the  entire  city  as 
the  main  thoroughfare,  bending  a  little,  and  then  crossing 
Mount  Zion,  from  which  cause  it  is  sometimes  called  Zion 
Street.  It  terminates  a  little  distance  east  of  the  Zion  gate, 
and  near  the  houses  of  the  lepers.  In  its  northern  half  it 
forms  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  Christian  quarter,  and  the 
western  boundary  of  the  Mohammedan.  It  passes  the  so- 
called  Corner  Gate  (Porta  Judicialis),  leaves  on  the  west  the 
Church  of  the  Ploly  Sepulchre  and  the  terrace  of  St  John’s 

1  The  following  general  description  of  the  city  can  only  be  under¬ 
stood  by  comparing  the  revised  plan  of  Gadow  with  the  survey  of 
Aldrich  and  Symonds,  which  differs  from  it  as  well  as  from  that  of 
Tobler. 


THE  INTERIOR  OF  THE  CITY. 


101 


Convent,  with  its  gate  on  which  are  still  to  be  seen  the  traces 
of  representations  of  the  animal  world,  and  passes  through  the 
long  bazaar  in  the  heart  of  the  city,  extending  up  through 
many  vaulted  lanes  to  Mount  Zion.  Up  to  this  point  the 
course  of  the  second  wall,  as  laid  down  on  Schultz’s  map, 
coincides  with  this.  East  of  this  Zion  Street,  and  hard  by 
it,  is  a  parallel  one,  which  Tobler  calls  Haret  el  Jehud,  the 
Jews’  Market  Street,1  or  Street  of  the  Arch  of  Jeliuda 
on  Symonds’  map.  It  is  not  merely  a  thoroughfare,  but  a 
real  though  slight  valley,  which  divides  Mount  Zion  into 
an  eastern  and  western  half,  which  long  passed  unobserved, 
unquestionably  because  it  was  seldom  traversed.  A  second 
main  street,  which  comes  from  the  Jaffa  gate,  crosses  the 
street  just  mentioned  at  right  angles,  and  after  making 
several  bends  at  the  southern  part  of  the  bazaar,  pursues  a 
generally  straight  course  towards  the  west  wrall  of  the  Haram, 
and  the  Mekhemeh  or  Council  House.  It  separates  the  Jewish 
quarter  in  the  south  from  the  Mohammedan  quarter  in  the 
north.  As  it  approaches  the  Haram  it  divides  into  a  number 
of  smaller  streets,  which  form  the  Haret  el  Mugharibeh. 
This  street,  which  passes  the  northern  base  of  Mount  Zion, 
and  which,  according  to  Robinson,  is  the  modern  representa¬ 
tive  of  the  ancient  Tyropoeon,  is  commonly  called  the  Street 
of  David,  excepting  in  its  more  eastern  portion  near  the 
Haram,  which  bears  the  name  of  the  Temple  Street.  Tobler 
insists  that  to  the  eye,  as  it  looks  down  this  street,  there  is  no 
appearance  whatever,  at  the  present  time,  that  it  was  ever  a 
valley.  Neither  can  the  slight  hollow  directly  north  of  the 
castle  at  the  Jaffa  gate,  between  the  Square  or  Place  of  the 
Citadel  and  the  Latin  Convent,  be  designated  as  a  valley. 
From  the  Damascus  Street — which,  when  carefully  observed, 
slopes  gradually  towards  the  cross  David  Street — there  run 
eastward  several  lanes  towards  the  Mohammedan  quarter, 
which  have  this  one  feature  in  common,  that  their  course 
is  towards  the  Tyropoeon  or  depression  from  the  Damascus 
gate  southward,  as  Schultz  and  Krafft  understand  it,  in 
contradistinction  to  Robinson.  All  these  streets,  therefore, 

1  Tobler,  in  Ausland,  18i8,  No.  18,  p.  70. 


102 


PALESTINE. 


have  the  same  slope.  The  hollow  which  passes  through  the 
city  is  designated  upon  the  map  of  Aldrich  and  Symonds  as 
the  Street  of  the  Mill  Valley.  On  the  earlier  one  of  Cather- 
wood  it  is  entirely  wanting,  on  Gadow’s  it  has  no  name. 
Although  Mejr  ed  Din1  described  it  fully,  yet,  as  it  lies  in 
the  heart  of  the  Mohammedan  quarter,  it  has  not  been  consi¬ 
dered  advisable  for  Christians  to  walk  through  it,  and  so  has 
been  little  known.  Only  on  Tobler’s  map  of  the  city,  which 
contains  many  new  details  that  supplement  that  of  Symonds 
and  Gadow,  is  this  hollow  designated  by  the  name  given  it 
by  the  inhabitants — el-Wadi,  They  apply  the  term  to  its 
whole  extent,  from  el-Mugharibeh  as  far  as  to  the  Damascus 
gate.  In  his  text  he  remarks  that  this  designation  is  in 
common  use  from  the  Sultan’s  Baths  (Hammam  es  Sultan) 
in  the  north,  as  far  as  to  the  Suk  Bab  es  Sinesleh  ( i.e .  to  the 
so-called  earth  wall  of  David  Street),  near  the  Haret  el 
Mugharibeh.2 

Gadow,  who  earliest  called  attention  to  the  sloping  direc¬ 
tion  noticeable  in  some  of  the  minor  avenues,  says  that  the 
first  cross  street  running  from  the  small  square  already  re¬ 
ferred  to  near  the  Damascus  gate,  runs  across  the  Damascus 
Street  in  a  north-easterly  direction.3  The  next  prominent 
thoroughfare  running  in  a  similar  course  is  the  Via  Dolorosa, 
or  Tharik  el  Alam,  which  crosses  the  Damascus  Street  at 
nearly  right  angles  near  Porta  Judicialis,  and  runs  eastwardly 
towards  the  Street  of  the  Mill  V alley :  it  then  runs  north¬ 
ward  for  a  short  distance  following  this  Valley  Street,  until 
it  comes  to  the  spot  where  Simon  of  Cyrene  is  represented 
as  taking  up  the  cross,  where  its  eastern  course  begins,  and 
gradually  ascends  to  the  house  of  the  Turkish  governors  and 
the  Chapel  of  Scourging.  This  Via  Dolorosa  has  only  been 
so  called  since  the  time  of  the  crusaders :  before  Marin 
Sanutus  no  mention  is  made  of  it. 

All  the  streets  running  from  the  main  thoroughfare,  or 
Damascus  Street,  as  well  as  those  which  run  from  the  Church 
of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  the  Prussian  Consulate,  and  which 

1  Mejr  ed  Din,  in  Williams,  Holy  City,  i.  app.  ii.  p.  158. 

2  Tobler,  i.a.l.  p.  70.  s  Gadow,  as  above  quoted. 


THE  INTERIOR  OF  THE  CITY. 


103 


pass  tlie  Tekiyeh  or  Hospital  of  Helena  (Akbet  el  Tekiyyeh 
el  Sahahira,  an  institution  for  the  poor,  now  in  ruins,  but 
a  monument  of  Moorish  architectural  skill  and  of  Moham¬ 
medan  beneficence1),  and  run  eastward  through  the  Moslem 
quarter,  display  a  marked  slope  towards  the  deepest  part  of 
the  valley. 

The  street,  says  Gadow,  which  runs  eastward  from  the 
square  already  mentioned,  near  the  Damascus  gate,  and 
which  crosses  the  Via  Dolorosa  [he  refers,  without  naming  it, 
to  the  Street  of  the  Mill  Valley,  or  el-Wadi],  forms,  up  to  the 
place  of  its  junction  with  the  David  or  Temple  Street,  the 
border  of  the  slope2  which  declines  towards  it  from  the  west. 
As  the  inclination  towards  it  of  all  the  streets  of  the  eastern 
side  shows,  it  follows  a  deep  valley  which  separates  the  north¬ 
eastern  portion  of  the  city  from  the  north-western. 

The  Via  Dolorosa — a  street  visited  by  all  pilgrims  on 
account  of  its  reputed  connection  with  the  toilsome  walk  of  our 
Lord  to  the  scene  of  His  crucifixion,  and  now  dotted  all  along 
with  the  u  stations”  which  the  monks  have  set  up — leads  from 
the  above-mentioned  bend  at  the  station  named  after  Simon 
of  Cyrene,  passes  a  rubbish-heap  surrounded  by  a  loosely 
constructed  wall,  then  the  Ecce  Homo  arch  (the  reputed  place 
where  the  Saviour  was  crowned  with  thorns),  the  Scala  Santa, 
and  the  Chapel  of  Scourging,  imperceptibly  ascending  to  the 
official  residence  of  the  Turkish  governors.  The  cross  alleys 
running  northward  from  it  run  steeply  up  to  Bezetha,  pass¬ 
ing  the  Chapel  of  Scourging. 

About  sixteen  paces  east  of  this  chapel,  the  Via  Dolorosa 
slopes  perceptibly  towards  a  hollow  course  running  thence 
northward ;  the  street  follows  this,  passing  the  ruined  convent 
Deir  el  Addas  (place  of  Mary  Magdalene’s  repentance),  as 
far  as  to  the  now  closed  gate  of  Herod,  or  Bab  el  Zahari. 
In  this  way,  the  north-easterly  portion  of  the  city  is  sub¬ 
divided  into  its  eastern  and  western  hills,  the  latter  one  of 
which  extends  beyond  the  northern  wall  as  solid  rock,  there 
to  be  divided  artificially,  as  I  have  already  mentioned,  by 

1  Schultz,  Jerusalem ,  p.  32. 

2  This  place  is  omitted  in  Gadow’s  text. 


104 


PALESTINE. 


the  passage  which  separates  the  cave  of  Jeremiah  from  the 
city. 

We  now  leave  the  rising  land  on  the  north  and  north¬ 
west  sides  of  the  Haram,  which,  according  to  the  view  of 
Schultz  and  Krafft,  are  interesting  in  connection  with  the 
ancient  Acra  :  we  pass  to  the  west  side  of  the  city,  the  Lower 
Town,  or  Acra  of  Josephus,  according  to  Eobinson  and 
Eaumer.  Despite  all  the  efforts  'which  have  thus  far  been  made, 
the  question  is  not  yet  freed  from  many  great  difficulties.1 
This  north-western  portion  of  the  city,  the  Christian  quarter, 
lies  upon  a  slope,  says  Gadow, 2  which  descends  very  uniformly 
and  gradually  on  the  street  leading  from  the  Jaffa  gate  to 
the  Bazaar,  but  far  more  steeply  on  that  which  runs  along 
the  north  side  of  the  Patriarchs’  or  Hezekiah’s  Pool  towards 
the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  The  slope  is  less  steep, 
however,  farther  north,  from  the  Latin  Convent  past  the 
Greek  Patriarch’s  Court  to  the  Porta  Judicialis  on  the  Via 
Dolorosa. 

The  part  of  the  city  which  the  ruins  of  the  St  John’s 
Convent  and  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  with  the 
extensive  buildings  which  were  connected  with  them,  occupy, 
extending  as  far  north  as  to  the  former  palace  of  the  Latin 
Patriarch,  lies  upon  a  uniformly  level  tract,  forming  a  bow¬ 
shaped  section  taken  out  of  the  whole  slope  which  runs  west¬ 
ward  from  the  Patriarchs’  or  Hezekiah’s  Pool,  and  from  the 
present  residence  of  the  German  Protestant  bishop,  and  which 
is  connected  by  a  kind  of  isthmus  with  Mount  Zion,  and  more 
directly  with  the  citadel  at  the  Jaffa  gate.  Here  there  must 
be  a  natural  hollow,  a  shallow  wTadi,  as  at  the  Damascus  gate, 
if  the  real  Tyropoeon  valley  connected  the  waters  which 
issued  from  the  upper  pool,  and  which  were  stopped  by 
Hezekiah,  in  the  iq^per  Gilion  valley,  and  brought  them 
into  the  interior  of  the  city.  In  order  to  show  the  pos¬ 
sibility  of  such  an  enterprise,  Eobinson  calls  attention  to 
the  vast  collection  of  rubbish  which  has  collected  north  of 
Mount  Zion,  extending  in  some  cases  to  a  depth  of  twenty 
or  thirty  feet :  he  adduces  the  discovery  of  subterranean 
1  Tobler,  quoted  as  above.  2  Gadow,  as  above. 


THE  INTERIOR  OF  THE  CITY. 


105 


canals  and  vaulted  passage-ways,  whose  original  purpose 
seems  exceedingly  uncertain,  and  which  are  conjectured  to 
have  had  some  connection  with  the  works  which  underlay 
Herod’s  palace  and  gardens,  regarding  the  means  of  water¬ 
ing  which,  as  well  as  regarding  a  conduit  which  led  to  the 
Hippicus,  we  have  allusions  in  Josephus.1  Tobler,  as  I 
have  already  mentioned,  does  not  admit  the  existence  of  any 
valley  there.  The  old  residence  of  the  patriarchs,  which 
gives  the  name  to  the  el-Batrak  Pool,  lies  not  close  by  the 
pool,  hut  some  distance  farther  north,  on  the  street  leading 
from  the  Holy  Sepulchre  to  the  Latin  Convent,  and  to  the 
present  residence  of  Nakib  el-Ashraf. 

The  part  of  Zion  within  the  city  attains  its  greatest  height 
at  a  line  extending  from  the  Armenian  Convent  to  the  great 
synagogue  of  the  Sephardim.  It  sinks  gradually  northward 
towards  the  cross  street  which  runs  from  the  Jaffa  gate ;  and 
in  former  times  the  descent  must  have  been  even  greater 
than  now  on  that  side,  if  we  can  judge  from  the  depth  to 
which  Mr  Whiting  has  gone2  in  the  course  of  his  excava¬ 
tions.  The  Hippicus  served  mainly  to  defend  the  narrow 
band  or  isthmus  which  connected  Mount  Zion  with  the  north¬ 
western  portion  of  the  city.  On  the  eastern  side,  directly 
opposite  Moriah,  it  falls  away  very  steeply,  and  houses  press 
close  to  the  very  margin  of  this  abrupt  descent.  There  may 
be  seen  in  one  place  a  path  three  or  four  feet  wide,  hewn  in 
the  rock,  running  from  south-west  to  north-east  for  a  little 
way,  till  its  course  is  stopped  by  the  accumulations  of  rubbish ; 
but  there  are  no  other  traces  of  the  existence  of  a  bridge 
once  spanning  the  valley,  and  leading  to  the  side  of  Moriah. 

Prom  the  place  where  the  Aqueduct  of  Pilate  enters  the 
city  to  the  neighbourhood  of  the  synagogue  of  the  Sephar¬ 
dim,  there  are  rubbish  piles  of  such  size  as  to  tower  far  above 
the  city  wall,  on  which  account  the  land  on  the  inside  seems 
to  rise  much  above  that  which  lies  along  the  western  border 
of  the  old  Tyropoeon.  I  have  already  alluded  sufficiently 
fully  to  the  small  quarter,  the  Haret  el  Mugharibeh,  situated 

1  Kobinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  346. 

2  Zeitsch.  d.  deutscli.  Morgenl.  Ges.  ii.  p.  231. 


106 


PALESTINE. 


in  the  hollow  between  Zion  and  Moriah,  the  Jews’  Wailing 
Place,  and  the  traces  of  the  arch  discovered  by  Robinson  on 
the  side  of  Moriah. 

It  will  be  seen  by  one  who  has  gone  with  me  thus  far, 
that  the  main  facts  regarding  the  physical  character  of 
Jerusalem  have  been  ascertained  as  well  as  is  possible  with¬ 
out  a  thorough  survey;  but  howto  apply  Josephus’  imperfect 
description  to  it,  will  remain  a  matter  of  difficulty  so  long  as 
wre  are  unacquainted  with  the  exact  nature  and  situation  of 
the  primitive  foundation  on  which  the  structures  of  three 
thousand  years  have  been  placed.  The  statement  made  in  a 
general  form,  and  occurring  in  'the  Bell.  Jud.  v.  4,  is  as 
follows :  “  The  city  was  fortified  by  three  walls  where  it  was 
not  made  inaccessible  by  the  valleys  which  are  on  some  sides 
of  it :  where  this  was  the  case,  there  wras  but  a  single  wall. 
It  wras  built  in  two  parts  confronting  each  other,  and  upon 
two  hills  parted  by  an  intervening  valley,  to  the  very  outer 
edges  of  wffiich  the  houses  of  the  city  crowded  down  on  both 
sides.  The  one  of  the  two  hills  on  which  the  upper  town 
lay  was  much  the  higher.  This  was  formerly  named  the 
City  of  David;  but  in  Josephus’  time  it  was  usually  known 
as  the  Upper  Market.  The  other  hill,  called  Akra,  on  which 
the  lower  town  lay,  was  rounded  [shelving]  on  both  sides 
[ d/x(f)LKvpTof\ .  Over  against  this  lay  a  third  hill,  by  nature 
lower  than  Akra,  and  at  an  earlier  period  separated  from  it 
by  a  broad  valley ;  but  during  the  reign  of  the  Maccabees 
[Asmonasans]  this  valley  was  filled  up  in  order  to  connect 
the  city  with  the  temple.  When  the  top  of  Akra  was 
removed,  the  other  hill  was  lowered  also,  so  that  the  temple 
still  towered  above  it.  The  valley  known  as  the  Tyropoeon 
separated  the  upper  and  the  lower  hills  of  the  city,  and 
extended  as  far  southward  as  to  the  Fountain  of  Siloah,  whose 
waters  are  sweet  and  abundant.  On  the  outside  both  of  the 
hills  were  hemmed  in  by  deep  valleys,  and  on  account  of 
their  steep  slopes  there  was  no  approach  afforded.”  This  is 
the  account  of  J osephus  which  has  offered  such  trouble  to 
travellers  and  to  commentators. 

Looking  only  at  the  first  and  the  last  changes  of  this 


THE  INTERIOR  OF  THE  CITY. 


107 


account,  it  is  plain  that  the  two  hills  which  confront  each 
other,  and  which  are  separated  by  an  intervening  valley, 
correspond,  in  case  that  this  valley  runs  eastward  from  the 
Jaffa  gate,  with  Mount  Zion,  the  Christian  quarter,  where 
stands  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  together  with  the 
bazaars  and  the  Mohammedan  quarter  of  Tekiyeh  (Hospital 
of  Helena),  the  latter  of  which  would  be  considered  as  the 
Akra  of  Josephus.  But  the  Jewish  historian  gives  not  the 
least  hint  that  the  valley  which  he  mentions  makes  a  sharp 
bend  to  the  south,  as  he  surely  would  have  done  in  a  sketch 
made  with  any  pretensions  to  exactness  or  fulness.  And 
when  we  look  at  the  close  of  Josephus’  description,  u  On  the 
outside  both  of  the  hills  wrere  hemmed  in  by  deep  valleys, 
and  on  account  of  their  steep  slopes  there  was  no  approach 
afforded,”  it  will  be  seen  at  once  that  it  entirely  contradicts 
the  theory  above  mentioned.  There  is  nowdiere  an  inacces¬ 
sible  side,  if  we  suppose  the  north-west  corner  of  the  city  to 
be  alluded  to  ;  on  the  contrary,  it  was  so  assailable  on  the 
north,  that  it  had  to  be  defended  by  three  walls.  The  allusion 
is  unquestionably  to  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat  on  the  east, 
and  that  of  Hinnom  on  the  west  and  south.  One  of  the  hills 
can  only  be  Zion,  extending  as  it  does  away  to  the  north ; 
while  the  other  hill,  Akra,  must  be  that  whose  eastern  base  is 
formed  by  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  and  which  extends 
southward  as  the  Temple  Mountain,  spoken  of  by  Josephus 
as  naturally  lower  than  Akra.  The  Tyropoeon  which  separated 
the  two  hills,  on  which  stood  the  upper  and  the  lower  town, 
can,  according  to  this  view,  only  be  traced  in  its  upper  course 
in  the  direction  of  the  Mill  Valley  Street.  This  gives  it  a 
simplicity  which  the  other  theory  denies  to  it,  making  it  an 
unbroken  line  from  the  Damascus  gate  to  Siloah.  The 
results  of  Gadow’s  investigations  favour  the  latter  theory  of 
the  course  of  the  Tyropoeon  ;  for  he  found  that,  however 
much  the  piles  of  rubbish  seem  to  hide  the  original  basis,  the 
adjacent  quarters  slope  perceptibly  towards  it. 

The  reasons  above  indicated  are  the  ones  which  compel  me  to 
reject  the  view1  brought  out  so  circumstantially  by  Robinson, 
1  Sec  the  subsequent  explorations  of  Robinson. 


108 


PALESTINE. 


and  to  accept  the  interpretation  of  the  account  of  Josephus 
given  by  those  more  recent  commentators  whose  claims  seem  to 
me  to  have  the  greatest  degree  of  probability,1  although  in  them 
there  is  much  that  must  remain  hypothetical ;  for  it  cannot  be 
denied  that  the  explanation  of  the  situation  of  Akra  in  rela¬ 
tion  to  the  lower  town,  as  well  as  to  the  ancient  Antiochia  2 
and  the  later  Baris  and  Antonia,  is  open  to  many  doubts. 
But  we  can  accept  as  authoritative  the  statement  of  Tobler,0 
that  the  efforts  of  recent  antiquarians  to  ascertain  the  true 
position  of  the  Antonia  have  at  last  succeeded  to  this  extent, 
that  it  is  no  longer  possible  to  locate  it  in  el- Wadi  [the  Mill 
Valley  of  Mejr  ed  Din],  or  north  of  the  Church  of  St  Ann. 
Tobler  lays  great  stress  on  the  examination  not  only  of  the 
names  applied  by  Josephus  to  the  local  topography,  but  also 
to  the  measurements  which  he  has  given,  and  which  he  thinks 
he  has  ascertained  with  more  exactness  than  any  of  his  pre¬ 
decessors.  Yet  it  is  noteworthy  that  in  all  the  passages  in 
Josephus  in  which  allusion  is  made  to  Akra,  this  name, 
whether  applied  to  the  fortress  or  the  hill,  is  always  used  in 
connection  with  the  eminence  on  which  the  temple  stands, 
never  in  connection  with  the  more  western  Mount  Zion. 
Indeed,  in  various  passages  in  Josephus,  allusion  is  made  to 
the  towering  of  Akra  above  the  adjacent  temple.  But  this 
could  not  possibly  have  been  said  of  the  northern  part  of  the 
west  side  of  the  city,  which  even  now,  despite  all  the  accumu¬ 
lations  of  rubbish  which  time  has  made,  is  evidently  detached 
from  the  eastern  hill  or  ipountain  on  which  is  the  temple 
enclosure  by  the  deep  and  broad  Mill  Valley.  The  only 
points  at  which  Zion  and  the  Temple  Mountain  approach 
each  other  is  at  the  south  part  of  the  city,  not  at  the  north, 
as  they  ought  to  do  if  we  accept  Bobinson’s  theory  of  the 
location  of  the  lower  city. 

Yet  the  situation  of  the  Akra  as  assigned  by  Schultz, 
Krafft,  and  all  those  who  array  themselves  in  antagonism  to 
Bobinson,  could  not  be  justified  on  any  grounds,  did  not  a 

1  Krafft,  Topogr.  pp.  2-10. 

2  Wolff,  Reise  ins  Gelobte  Land ,  p.  78. 

3  T.  Tobler,  1848,  No.  19,  p.  74. 


THE  INTERIOR  OF  THE  CITY. 


109 


remarkable  passage  in  Josephus,  confirmed  by  tlie  Maccabees, 
relating  to  the  lowering  of  the  mountain  and  the  razing  of  the 
fortress  overlooking  the  temple,  clearly  indicate  the  com¬ 
pletely  changed  character  of  the  surface  of  the  land.  For  the 
fortress  built  in  the  lower  city  on  Akra  by  the  Syrians, 
named  Antiochia  from  the  builder  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  and 
held  by  this  inveterate  enemy  of  the  Jewish  worship,  was 
at  last  wrested  from  the  Syrian  forces,  after  a  possession  of 
twenty-six  years,  by  Simon  the  son  of  Matthias  the  Macca- 
bsean.  In  order  to  ensure  the  exemption  of  the  temple  from 
all  danger  in  the  future,  always  a  thing  to  be  apprehended 
from  the  great  fortress  on  Akra,  Simon  made  a  proposition  to 
the  Jewish  leaders  to  raze  the  stronghold,  and  to  reduce  the 
height  of  the  mountain  itself.  The  project  was  received  with 
favour,  and  the  people  worked  night  and  day  for  three  years  to 
accomplish  the  work.  The  result  was  the  so  complete  change 
in  the  relative  heights  of  the  two  parts  of  the  eminence,  that 
the  part  on  which  the  temple  stood  was  the  highest :  the 
portion  on  which  Akra  (or  Antonia)  stood  was  comparatively 
insignificant  in  height,  while  the  valley  which  had  heretofore 
divided  them  was  entirely  filled  up.  When  the  great  danger 
had  been  forestalled  which  had  seemed  to  be  impending  in 
consequence  of  the  commanding  position  of  the  Antiochia 
fortress  in  relation  to  the  temple,  Simon  the  Maccabaean  had 
the  wisdom  to  fortify  anew  the  strong  strategic  position  north 
of  the  temple,  known  by  the  Persian  name  of  Baris.  Ilis 
successors  took  the  place  as  their  residence.  Herod  the 
Great  strengthened  it  still  more,  making  the  fortress  at  the 
north-west  corner  of  the  temple  enclosure  (the  uKpo7ro\i<i 
iyydovLO'i  of  Josephus)  the  acropolis  of  the  lower  city  and  of 
the  temple,  and  naming  it  the  Antonia  in  honour  of  his 
friend  Antonias.1  These  were  the  defences  which  at  a  later 
period  proved  so  prominent  in  warding  off  the  attacks  of  four 
different  assailants :  Pompey,  Ilcrod,  Cestius  the  Roman  pre¬ 
fect  of  Syria,  and  lastly  of  Titus.2  They  confirm  the  view 
that  the  whole  width  of  the  temple  enclosure  was  not  covered 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  292-295. 

a  Krafft,  Topogr.  p.  74. 


110 


PALESTINE. 


with  these  works,  but  that  from  the  Antonia  eastward  a  deep 
ditch  or  fosse  was  cut  in  the  rock,  sixty  feet  in  depth,  and  two 
hundred  and  fifty  in  breadth.  This  had  to  be  filled  up  by 
the  beleaguering  forces  in  order  to  enable  them  to  reach  the 
temple.  The  last  traces  of  this  fosse  are  apparently  to  be 
seen  in  the  so-called  Pool  of  Bethesda,  more  correctly  called 
the  Birket  Israin.1  It  apparently  served  the  double  purpose 
of  protecting  the  city,  and  also  of  acting  as  a  reservoir 
of  water.  Towards  the  north  the  Antonia  could  not  have 
extended  farther  than  to  the  hollow  where  runs  the  Via 
Dolorosa,  which,  as  I  have  already  shown,  passes  the  north 
side  of  the  Turkish  governor’s  palace,  to  which  as  well  as  to 
the  former  Roman  acropolis,  and  castle  and  residence  of 
Pilate,  the  legend  transfers  the  Scala  Santa  and  the  scene 
of  the  scourging,  since  north  of  the  Yia  Dolorosa  the  most 
northern  eminence  begins  to  ascend,  on  which  stood  Bezetha, 
the  most  recent  quarter  of  the  city,  which  must  be  passed 
through  before  Antonia  could  be  reached.  It  was  to  this 
castle,  according  to  Robinson,  which  lay  close  to  the  temple, 
that  the  Apostle  Paul  was  brought  bound  through  the  excited 
ranks  of  the  people,  and  it  was  from  its  steps  that  he  ad¬ 
dressed  them  in  the  court  below.  This  is  the  7 Tape/ifiokr)  of 
Acts  xxi.  34-37. 

The  extent  of  territory  covered  by  the  Antonia  would 
appear  too  limited  upon  the  present  plan  of  the  city,  and 
would  excite  doubts  regarding  its  former  situation  there,  if 
it  were  not  made  certain  by  various  passages  that  the  fortress 
once  pushed  itself  southward  with  a  marked  angle  into  the 
temple  court,  and  thus  gained  room  for  itself.  We  are  equally 
certain,  too,  that  the  Maccabees,  or  more  correctly  the  As- 
monceans,  by  their  reduction  of  the  rock  which  towered  above 
the  temple,  gained  a  considerable  amount  of  space.  This  is 
manifested  by  the  clear  horizontal  face  of  rock  still  to  be  seen 
in  the  regular  quadrangular  form  of  the  Haram  area,2  as  well 
as  from  the  character  of  the  southern  side  of  the  old  temple 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  330,  331. 

2  Comp,  the  sketch  in  Krafft,  pp.  12,  13,  76-79;  and  Bartlett,  Walks 
about  Jerusalem ,  p.  161. 


THE  INTERIOR  OF  THE  CITY. 


Ill 


mountain,  at  the  spot  where  the  Turkish  governor’s  palace 
now  stands.  From  this  place  the  general  character  of  the 
locality  can  he  the  best  observed,  as  it  cannot  be  entered  by 
Christians.  The  place  last  mentioned,  Krafft  was  obliged  to 
inspect  under  the  heat  of  a  most  oppressive  sun,  when  not  a 
creature  was  to  be  seen  stirring  in  the  streets.  He  ventured 
to  go  so  far  as  to  pass  through  the  north-west  gate — probably 
the  Bab  el  Ghowarneh  of  Tobler’s  Plan  No.  41,  more  cor¬ 
rectly,  according  to  Tuch,  the  Bab  el  Ghawarimeh — and  to 
advance  as  far  as  to  the  inner  court  of  the  Haram.  He  did 
not  venture  to  remain  long,  however,  for  he  was  in  peril  of 
his  life  every  moment.  Josephus  tells  us  himself,  that  the 
temple  enclosure  was  irregular  in  shape  on  the  north  side  : 
he  remarks  also,  that  after  the  destruction  of  the  Antonia 
the  Jews  converted  the  sacred  precincts  into  a  square, 
although  they  had  a  tradition  that  the  city  and  the  temple 
should  perish,  if  the  court  should  ever  assume  a  quadrangular 
shape.  Not  only  the  ravages  of  Titus,  but  also  the  later 
erections  of  Hadrian — his  temple  of  Jupiter  with  its  adjacent 
halls  and  other  structures,  including  the  rebuilt  Antonia 1 — 
must  have  materially  changed  the  form  of  the  temple  court. 
This  must  have  been  the  case  also  with  the  magnificent  works 
which  owe  their  existence  to  Herod,  with  those  carried  out 
by  Justinian,  and  the  still  more  recent  Mosque  el  Aksa.  The 
great  changes  effected  by  the  erection  of  so  many  successive 
edifices  upon  Moriah,  and  immediately  around  the  temple 
court,  would  make  it  almost  impossible,  even  with  the  most 
careful  use  of  all  the  measurements  of  past  as  well  as  present 
times,  to  ascertain  with  any  degree  of  correctness  the  precise 
character  and  extent  of  the  structures  which  covered  it.  All 
that  remains  is  to  leave  the  matter  to  the  hands  of  the  most 
persevering  and  zealous  antiquarians  to  explore  and  settle  so 
far  as  it  may  be  possible. 

The  spirit  of  inquiry  has  not  been  lessened  in  its  desire  to 
trace  the  early  character2  of  the  temple  by  the  complete,  the 
only  too  literal  fulfilment,  in  fact,  of  the  prophecies  regard- 

1  Krafft,  Topogr.  p.  228. 

2  See  Ewald,  Gesch.  dcs  Volks  Israel ,  iii.  pp.  35-38. 


112 


PALESTINE. 


ing  it,  one  of  which  is  contained  in  Matt.  xxiv.  1,  2  :  “  And 
Jesus  went  out,  and  departed  from  the  temple:  and  His 
disciples  came  to  Him,  for  to  show  Him  the  buildings  of  the 
temple.  And  Jesus  said  unto  them,  See  ye  not  all  these 
things?  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  There  shall  not  be  left  here 
one  stone  upon  another,  that  shall  not  be  thrown  down.” 
Another  is  contained  in  Mark  xiii.  1,2:“  And  as  He  went  out 
of  the  temple,  one  of  His  disciples  saith  unto  Him,  Master, 
see  what  manner  of  stones  and  what  buildings  are  here  ! 
And  Jesus  answering,  said  unto  him,  Seest  thou  these  great 
buildings  ?  there  shall  not  be  left  one  stone  upon  another, 
that  shall  not  be  thrown  down.”  Every  reader  knows  how 
thoroughly  the  prediction  has  been  fulfilled.  Long  after 
these  words  were  spoken,  all  the  sacredness  which  had  rested 
upon  Moriah  was  swept  away  :  of  the  outermost  walls  of  the 
hallowed  places  only  a  few  fragments  remained  ;  for  at  the 
time  of  the  destruction  by  the  Romans  all  the  upper  storeys 
were  hurled  down,  and  nothing  was  left  but  the  lowest  layer, 
to  the  amazement  of  centuries  to  come  at  this  complete  con¬ 
firmation  of  the  word  of  prophecy. 

Dio  Cassius  has  given  us  no  full  and  reliable  statements 
regarding  the  erection  of  a  temple  of  J upiter  upon  the  same 
area  by  the  Emperor  Hadrian.  The  attempt  of  the  Jews 
during  the  reign  of  Julian  the  apostate,  in  a.d.  363,  to  re¬ 
build  their  temple,  failed  in  consequence  of  the  outbreaking 
of  flames,  and  the  terror  which  they  are  said  to  have  inspired. 
The  erection  of  the  church  of  the  Emperor  Justinian  in 
honour  of  Mary,  and  in  the  place  of  the  former  temple,  is 
veiled  in  darkness  :  it  seems,  however,  not  to  have  been  on  the 
precise  site  of  the  temple  of  Jehovah,  but,  so  far  as  we  can 
gather  from  Procopius,  towards  the  southern  extremity  of  the 
temple  enclosure. 

With  regard  also  to  the  erection  of  the  mosque  upon  the 
temple  court,  we  have  no  authentic  account ;  nothing,  in 
fact,  more  valuable  than  the  statements  of  those  who  lived 
some  centuries  later.1  Omar  captured  the  city  in  the  year 
636,  and  determined  to  build  a  great  mosque  on  the  site  of 
1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  298  et  sq. 


INTERIOR  OF  THE  CITY. 


113 


the  ancient  Jewish  temple.  Upon  his  asking  the  patriarch 
Sophronius  for  the  place,  he  was  directed,  after  some  eva¬ 
sions,  according  to  the  crusaders,  to  a  great  church,  to  whose 
court  a  staircase  ascended.  Not  far  from  it  were  the  traces 
of  former  structures.  According  to  the  Arabian  authorities, 
the  place  to  which  he  was  directed  was  the  celebrated  rock 
es-Sukrah,  hut  they  add  that  the  place  was  then  covered  with 
all  kinds  of  filth  in  order  to  show  the  scorn  felt  for  the  Jews. 
This,  as  the  story  runs,  he  had  cleared  away,  and  subsequently 
erected  the  mosque,  which  is  generally  supposed  to  be  the  one 
bearing  his  name  ;  yet  it  is  more  probable  that  the  Church 
of  J ustinian  was  converted  into  the  el-Aksa,  the  old  founda¬ 
tions  being  allowed  to  remain.  The  Arabian  authors  assert 
expressly  that  it  was  not  till  686  that  the  Caliph  Abd  al 
Melek,  whose  capital  was  at  Kufa  on  the  Euphrates,  and  who 
forbade  the  pilgrimage  to  Mecca1  to  the  Syrians,  erected  the 
magnificent  mosque  Kubbet  es  Sukrah,  i.e.  Dome  of  the 
Rock,  which  was  finished  in  seven  years,  and  which  was 
especially  intended  to  make  a  pilgrimage  to  Mecca  unneces¬ 
sary.  In  this  way  he  hoped  to  weaken  the  opposite  party. 
This  magnificent  work,  with  its  surroundings,  the  last  resort 
of  the  Mohammedans  at  the  time  of  the  conquest  by  the 
crusaders  in  1099,  became  the  deathbed  of  many  thousand 
slaughtered  followers  of  Mohammed,  who  defended  them¬ 
selves  here  to  the  last.  Subsequently  cleansed,  re-dedicated, 
and  changed  by  the  erection  of  a  choir  and  altar  into  a 
Templum  Domini,  Godfrey,  the  king  of  Jerusalem,  trans¬ 
formed  the  old  temple  of  Jehovah  into  a  cathedral,  having 
all  the  character  of  a  church  of  the  West,  and  as  freely 
opened.  The  buildings  in  immediate  connection  with  it  he 
gave  to  the  various  orders  of  ministers  to  live  in,  and  made 
over  to  the  Knights  Templar  the  guards’  quarters  in  the  old 
palace  at  the  southern  end  of  the  enclosure. 

AVlien  Sultan  Salad  ed  Din  came  in  1187  into  the  pos¬ 
session  of  Jerusalem,  the  sacred  spot  underwent  another  trans¬ 
formation.  The  golden  cross  upon  the  lofty  dome  was  torn" 

1  G.  Weil,  Gesch.  der  Clialifen ,  i.  p.  414,  Note  1. 

2  Wilken,  Gesch.  der  Kreuz.  iii.  p.  312. 

VOL.  IV. 


E 


114 


PALESTINE. 


from  its  place  and  dragged  in  tlie  earth,  while  the  crescent 
became  its  substitute.  All  the  Christian  edifices  and  deco¬ 
rations  were  removed;  a  pulpit  was  erected  for  the  praise 
of  Allah,  in  the  place  of  an  altar  to  the  glory  of  God; 
the  whole  precincts  were  sprinkled  with  rose-water  brought 
by  five  camels  from  Damascus ;  and  instead  of  the  Christian 
songs  which  had  been  heard  there,  but  not  during  a  whole 
century  in  all,  the  wild  cry  of  the  Moslems  was  heard,  as  they 
intoned  the  verses  of  the  Koran.  As  it  was  left  then,  it  has 
remained  to  the  present  day.  The  rock  es-Sukhrah  under 
the  great  dome,  with  the  apartments  hollowed  out  beneath  it, 
is  the  most  sacred  shrine  of  the  Moslems  :  it  is  claimed  for  it 
that  it  was  the  rock  on  which  Jacob  slept  when  the  angels 
appeared  to  him  in  a  dream,  and  Mohammed  called  it  one  of 
the  rocks  of  Paradise.  It  hence  took  the  name  Haram  esh 
Sherif,  or  the  Most  Holy  Place,  and  has  been  forbidden 
ground  to  all  unbelievers. 

The  history  and  description  of  the  ancient  Jewish  temple 
and  its  enclosure1  or  court  have  been  given  with  great  fidelity 
by  Winer 2  in  his  Biblisches  Realworterbuch  :  the  unfounded 
and  whimsical  hypotheses  of  Ferguson,  who  seeks  to  iden¬ 
tify  the  Mosque  of  Omar  with  the  ancient  Christian  Church 
of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  have  been  satisfactorily  confuted  by 
Williams.3  The  most  accurate  description  which  we  now 
have  of  the  temple  enclosure  and  the  mosque,  is  that  given  by 
Cathemvood,  the  result  of  his  six  weeks’  measurements  and 
observations.  These  Bartlett  4  has  accompanied  with  exceed¬ 
ingly  beautiful  drawings,  taken  from  the  summit  of  the 
Mount  of  Olives,  and  from  the  top  of  the  Government  build¬ 
ing,  from  the  east  and  the  north  sides  of  the  city.  These 
give  us  the  best  view  5  of  the  whole  of  Moriah,  whose  top,  so 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  281  et  sq. 

2  "Winer,  Bib.  Realw.  ii.  pp.  569-591. 

3  G.  Williams,  Holy  City,  i.  p.  800,  ii.  pp.  100-110. 

4  Catlierwood’s  adventure  with.  Bartlett,  Walks,  etc.,  pp.  148-165, 
Tab.  x.  p.  100,  and  Tab.  xx.  p.  143.  See  Christian  in  Palestine,  p.  154, 
Tab.  liii. 

3  Ivrafft,  Topog.  p.  68  ;  Strauss,  Sinai  and  Golgotha,  pp.  258,  259. 


INTERIOR  OF  THE  CITY. 


115 


far  as  it  is  occupied  by  the  Haram  and  its  wall,  appears  to 
be  levelled  uniformly  off  and  to  be  covered  with  buildings. 
I  must  content  myself  with  the  most  general  sketch  of  the 
whole  field. 

The  temple  square  appears  at  the  present  day  in  the  form 
of  an  open  terrace,  covered  with  the  mosque,  and  with  gardens 
where  jets  of  water  leap  from  marble  fountains,  and  where 
noble  cypresses  and  other  trees  cast  a  refreshing  shade.  The 
place  is  a  Moslem  paradise.  Near  the  middle  of  the  whole 
enclosure  there  appears  an  immense  platform,  fifteen  feet 
high,  five  hundred  and  fifty  long,  and  four  hundred  and 
fiftv  feet  wide.  This  is  covered  with  slabs  of  bluish-white 

V 

marble,  and  was  the  site  of  the  ancient  temple  :  steps  ascend 
to  it  on  the  north,  east,  south,  and  west.  In  the  Jewish  times 
the  temple  probably  stood  in  the  middle  of  this  elevated  place ; 
while  at  a  lower  elevation,  and  falling  away  from  it  as  in  a 
series  of  terraces,  were  the  successive  courts  of  the  Jews  and 
the  Gentiles.  The  arrangement  seems  to  have  been  not 
unlike  that  now  seen  in  the  gardens  which  surround  the  most 
conspicuous  object  of  all,  the  Mosque  of  Omar,  which  stands 
at  the  centre.  South  of  the  platform  of  which  I  just  spoke, 
and  from  which  a  marble  staircase  descends,  there  is  a  great 
marble  basin,  surrounded  by  green  and  fresh  grass-plots,  and 
olive,  lemon,  and  cypress  trees.  This  part  of  the  area  is  filled 
with  stations  which  the  Moslem  visits  with  the  same  fidelity, 
on  account  of  the  legends  connected  with  them,  with  which 
Christian  pilgrims  visit  those  in  other  parts  of  the  city  which 
have  their  own  special  traditions.  It  is  closed  on  the  south 
by  the  Mosque  of  el-Aksa,  and  by  the  beautiful  Basilica  of 
Justinian,  built  in  honour  of  the  Virgin  Mary.  The  fine 
architecture  of  the  two  ennobles  the  whole  scene,  from  what¬ 
ever  point  it  is  observed.  If  the  eye  wanders  away  past 
the  walls  which  encompass  the  enclosure,  it  falls  upon  striking 
objects  on  every  side:  the  threefold  summit  of  the  green  Mount 
of  Olives  on  the  east ;  the  massive  and  lofty  pile  of  houses  on 
Mount  Zion  on  the  south ;  and  towards  the  north-west  the 
group  of  buildings  with  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  in 
the  middle,  and  Golgotha  close  by  on  the  slope  of  the  ridge, 


116 


PALESTINE . 


and  at  the  north-west  corner  of  the  present  city,  and  probably 
entirely  beyond  the  limits  of  the  ancient  Jerusalem. 

The  entire  area  enclosed  within  the  massive  walls  of  the 
present  Haram  forms  an  imperfect  parallelogram,  whose 
northern  side,  according  to  Robinson’s  measurements,  is  about 
thirty  paces  longer  than  the  south  side.  The  entire  dis¬ 
tance  from  north  to  south  is  greater  than  that  from  east  to 
west.  Robinson  took  the  dimensions  of  the  south  and  east 
sides.  According  to  the  results  gained  by  him,  the  south 
side  is  nine  hundred  and  fifty-five  feet  in  length,  or  about 
double  the  width  of  the  above-mentioned  platform, — the  east 
side  fifteen  hundred  and  twenty-eight  feet,  the  west  side  a 
thousand  and  sixty  feet.  The  entire  extent  surpasses,  there 
fore,  that  which  Josephus  ascribes  to  the  ancient  temple  ;  but 
it  corresponds  well  with  the  dimensions  which  the  whole  area 
attained  after  the  accessions  of  territory  on  the  north  and 
south  sides.  The  entrance  on  the  north  is  through  the  house 
of  the  Turkish  governors  and  the  barracks  of  the  garrison 
stationed  there,  which  occupy  the  place,  I  may  say,  speaking 
generally,  which  was  covered  by  the  ancient  Antonia.  On 
the  west  side  there  are  five  entrances  into  the  square  from 
the  various  streets  of  the  Turkish  quarter,  one  of  which,  the 
fourth,  leads  to  it  over  the  deserted  bazaar  called  the  Cotton 
Market ;  another,  the  fifth,  runs  farther  south,  by  the  Mekhe- 
meh,  i.e.  the  City  Hall  and  Court  House,  which  lie  close  to 
the  Haram.  The  eastern  wall  has  no  other  entrance  than 
the  now  closed  Golden  Gate ;  the  southern  one  is  equally 
shut  in  by  the  Mosque  el  Aksa  and  the  adjacent  edifices. 

On  the  western  side  of  the  temple  enclosure — namely, 
the  one  towards  the  city — the  space  is  occupied  by  long  rows 
of  buildings  of  fine  Saracenic  architecture,  and  used  as  the 
colleges  of  the  dervishes,  as  Turkish  schools,  and  for  other 
purposes  of  the  mosque,  as  well  as  for  the  reception  of 
pilgrims.  On  the  west  side  of  these  structures,  directly  out¬ 
side  the  elevated  area,  there  are  several  baths  of  the  Moham¬ 
medans,  among  them  the  Hamm  am  es  Sultan ;  and  farther 
south,  at  the  Suk  el  Katanin,  or  Cotton  Bazaar,  the  Baths 
of  Healing,  as  they  are  usually  called.  Regarding  these, 


INTERIOR  OF  TIIE  CITY. 


117 


both  Tobler  and  Wolcott  have  learned  that  they  are  fed  from 
the  deep  and  large  water-chamber  cut  out  of  the  rock  undei 
the  mosque.  Farther  south,  on  the  same  west  side,  there  are 
the  Mekhemeh,  or  City  Hall  and  Court  House,  where  the 
cadi  lives,  and  the  earth  wrall  where  the  situation  of  the 
y ecpvpa  to  the  Xystus  was  supposed  to  be.  Following  on  in 
the  same  line,  there  are  the  localities  alluded  to  in  a  previous 
page — the  Wailing  Place  of  the  Jews,  the  Mosque  of  the 
Africans,  and  the  broken  arch  discovered  by  Robinson — all 
of  which  are  close  to  the  Haret  el  Mueharibeh.  With  regard 

O  O 

to  all  the  edifices  on  this  south  side  of  the  Haram,  Wolcott’s  1 
accounts,  though  brief,  fragmentary,  and  difficult  to  follow 
by  one  who  has  not  been  an  eye-witness,  are  to  be  consulted. 
With  regard  to  this  part  of  the  city,  which  was  formerly  so 
much  neglected,  Tobler 2  has  communicated  the  result  of  his 
discoveries  made  in  184G,  unfortunately  in  language  so  brief 
that  it  is  difficult  to  draw  from  them  their  full  meaning. 
I  quote  his  own  words  :  u  At  the  time  of  my  visit,  all  my 
efforts  were  in  vain  to  penetrate  the  arches  which  sustain  the 
southern  side  of  the  Haram.  Mr  Nathan  and  I  were,  how¬ 
ever,  more  fortunate  at  another  place  directly  west  of  the 
arches  which  lie  at  the  south-east  corner  of  the  temple  area. 
An  inhabitant  of  the  Haret  el  Mogharibeh  (African  quarter) 
allowed  himself  to  be  induced  by  the  sight  of  money  to 
break  a  hole  in  the  wall,  through  which  we  passed  the  very 
fine,  ancient  double  gate  very  seldom  visited  by  Christians  ; 
thence  we  went  to  the  long  arch  running  northward  directly 
beneath  the  Mosque  el  Aksa,  certainly  at  the  peril  of  our 
lives.  There  is  still  an  unexplored 3  tract  between  this  arch 
and  the  western  wall  of  the  temple  enclosure.  Yet  we 
pressed  on  into  other  arches,  not  indeed  under  the  temple 
enclosure,  but  close  by  its  wall,  and  northward  of  the  Jews’ 
Wailum  Place.  These  arches  sustain  the  house4  of  the  cadi, 

1  "Wolcott,  in  Bib.  Sacra ,  1843,  pp.  19-24. 

2  Tobler,  in  Ausland ,  1848,  No.  19,  p.  73. 

8  Barclay’s  interesting  account  of  his  personal  investigations  beneath 
the  temple  must  not  be  overlooked  by  the  reader. 

4  Zeitsch.  d.  deutsch.  Morgenl.  Gescll.  vol.  v.  p.  370. 


118 


PALESTINE. 


the  Suk  Bab  es  Sinesleh,  and  the  aqueduct  which  comes  from 
Etham.  This  Suk,  which  is  now  known  to  have  been  a  kind 
of  causeway,  has  only  been  made  the  object  of  investigation 
within  modern  times.  Mv  own  researches — the  first,  so  far 
as  I  am  aware,  which  have  been  made  in  these  vaults  on  the 
part  of  Franks  since  1187 — indicate  that  they  form  a  part  of 
a  connection  between  Mount  Moriah  and  Mount  Zion ;  and 
if  my  interpretation  of  some  difficult  passages  is  correct,  at 
the  time  of  the  Frankish  possession  of  Jerusalem  the  arches 
were  broken,  or  at  any  rate  so  far  traversable,  that  one  could 
pass  from  what  is  now  called  the  Damascus  gate  directly  to 
the  Dung  gate,  without  passing  the  Suk  Bab  es  Sinesleh  and 
the  African  quarter.  In  the  course  of  our  investigations,  we 
discovered  a  curiosity  which  I  cannot  pass  over  in  silence. 
It  was  a  tolerably  large  pool,  called  by  the  Arabs  the  Birket 
el  Obrat  :  it  was  probably  known  to  the  crusaders,  but 
subsequently  was  forgotten.”  The  only  observations  which 
preceded  those  of  Tobler  in  this  quarter  are,  as  far  as  I  know, 
those  of  Wolcott1  and  Tipping,  who,  after  various  attempts 
to  follow  the  Etham  aqueduct  after  it  passes  beneath  the 
surface  of  the  ground  in  the  lower  Tyropceon,  succeeded  in 
detecting  its  course  by  means  of  occasionally  touching  pipes, 
tunnels,  and  arches,  for  a  distance  of  four  or  five  hundred 
feet  within  the  city.  This  led  them  along  the  wall  of  the 
Haram,  and  to  the  neighbourhood  of  the  old  arch  discovered 
by  Robinson.  They  failed,  however,  in  discovering  a  con¬ 
nection  between  it  and  the  Haram  basin.  If  I  understand 
the  fragment  aright,  Tobler  has  been  able  to  follow"  this  aque¬ 
duct  still  farther  north. 

Regarding  the  temple  terrace  as  it  appears  at  the  present 
time,  Catherwood  gives  us  the  most  authentic  account.2  The 
main  entrance  to  the  enclosure  is  from  the  wTest  side  through 
the  now  deserted  Cotton  Bazaar  ;  although  there  are  two 
others  of  less  importance  farther  north.  From  this  bazaar 
the  way  runs  due  east  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  to  the  mosque, 
passing  several  Turkish  places  for  prayer,  and  turn  elegant 

1  Wolcott,  in  Bib.  Sacra,  1843,  pp.  31-33. 

2  Catherwood,  in  Bartlett,  Walks,  p.  152 ;  Ferguson,  Tab.  iv. 


INTERIOR  OF  THE  CITY. 


119 


fountains,  overarched  with  beautiful  cupolas,  and  shaded  by 
tine  cypress  and  plane  trees.  The  great  platform  which 
surrounds  the  mosque  is,  as  has  been  already  said,  about 
fifteen  or  sixteen  feet  above  the  level  of  the  general  area ;  on 
the  west  side  three  staircases  ascend  to  it,  surmounted  by 
elegant  arches,  apparently  of  the  same  age  as  the  mosque 
itself.  On  the  south  and  the  north  sides  of  the  platform 
there  are  two  of  these  staircases,  on  the  east  there  is  but  one. 
There  are  also  scattered  here  and  there,  among  the  buildings 
which  surround  the  princely  pile  at  the  centre,  places  of 
entertainment  for  the  poorest  pilgrims  :  here  they  are  cared 
for  at  the  charge  of  the  mosque.  One  of  these  hospices  is 
set  apart  for  the  express  use  of  the  African  pilgrims. 

This  great  platform  has  an  extent  from  east  to  west  of 
four  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and  five  hundred  and  fifty  from 
north  to  south.  In  these  measurements  Catherwood  confirms 
Robinson.  It  is  partly  laid  with  marble,  and  upon  it  there 
are  several  elegant  stands  for  prayer.  One  of  these  is  par¬ 
ticularly  noticeable,  and  bears  the  name  of  Fatima,  after  the 
daughter  of  Mohammed.  On  the  south  side  of  the  external 
protection  there  are  extremely  rich  pulpits,  made  of  the  most 
costly  materials.  On  the  east  side,  and  not  many  steps  from 
the  mosque,  are  a  fountain  and  a  praying  place,  the  latter  of 
which  is  so  arranged  as  to  look  towards  Mecca,  and  is  called 
the  Judgment  Throne  of  King  David. 

The  great  Mosque  of  Omar,  which  stands  upon  the 
platform,  is  eight-sided  in  form,  every  one  of  its  sides 
measuring  sixty-seven  feet.  The  lower  portion  of  the  wall 
consists  of  parti-coloured  marble  slabs,  arranged  in  elegant 
and  artistic  patterns.  The  upper  portion  displays  fifty-six 
arched  windows,  whose  glass  is  of  the  most  beautiful  colours, 
surpassing  in  richness  those  of  many  a  church  of  the  West. 
The  pilasters  between  the  windows,  on  the  outside  of  the 
mosque,  are  composed  of  glass  tiles,  laid  in  very  attractive 
patterns  ;  and  no  less  striking  is  the  upper  part  of  the  wall 
which  supports  the  dome,  which  is  composed  entirely  of  fine 
lattice-work  in  wood,  swelling  upward  with  great  regularity 
and  beauty,  covered  with  tin,  and  supporting  the  immense 


120 


PALESTINE. 


crescent.  Four  gates  beneath  marble  arches  lead  from  the 
four  cardinal  points  to  the  interior :  at  the  western  one  of 
these  there  is  a  fountain,  which  is  perhaps  connected  with 
the  subterranean  basin  discovered  by  Wolcott  and  Tobler. 
The  southern  portal  is  sustained  by  marble  columns.  A  cor¬ 
ridor  of  about  thirteen  feet  in  breadth  passes  around  the 
whole  interior1  of  the  mosque,  bordered  by  eight  pillars  and 
sixteen  marble  shafts,  which  appear  to  have  been  taken  from 
some  ancient  Roman  building.  They  are  spanned  by  arches 
which  sustain  the  circular  wall,  which  in  its  turn  bears  up  the 
dome.  The  inner  walls  and  the  dome  are  stuccoed  with  gold, 
in  the  arabesque  style,  as  in  the  Alhambra.  The  dome, 
which  is  of  great  antiquity,  consists  wholly  of  wooden  rafters, 
skilfully  carved,  but  altogether  out  of  sight.  It  is  sixty-six 
feet  in  diameter,  and  is  supported  by  four  massive  stone 
pillars  and  twelve  antique  Corinthian  columns,  which  seem 
to  have  belonged  to  some  Jewish  or  heathen  temple  occupying 
the  place.  There  is  a  second  corridor  found  farther  towards 
the  centre  of  the  building  than  the  first.  This  one  is  thirty 
feet  broad,  and  yet  there  remains  within  it  a  circle  of  still 
ninety-eight  in  diameter.  Beneath  the  dome  lies  the  singular 
limestone  rock  of  irregular  shape,  from  which  the  whole 
building  derives  its  name,  Ivubbet  es  Sukhrah,  or  Dome  of 
Rock.  According  to  Ferguson’s  new  theory,2  this  is  the  Holy 
Sepulchre;  and  the  Corinthian  columns  are  considered,  though 
without  any  foundation,  to  have  belonged  to  the  Byzantine 
church  which  Justinian  erected,  not  on  the  site  of  el-Aksa, 
but  here. 

The  greater  part  of  the  rock  lies  out  of  sight,  beneath  the 
entire  extent  of  the  mosque  ;  but  a  gilded  iron  railing  sur¬ 
rounds  the  part  which  can  be  seen,  and  is  intended  to  prevent 
the  touch  of  the  countless  pilgrims  who  visit  it.  It  appears 
to  be  a  relic  of  the  natural  and  primitive  summit  of  Moriah  : 
it  is  only  in  scattered  places  that  chisel-marks  can  be  seen. 
It  is  covered  now  with  a  purple  canopy.  In  the  south-east 
corner  of  the  rock  there  is  a  chamber  hollowed  out,  the 

1  Bartlett,  Walks,  Note,  p.  164  ;  Williams,  Holy  City,  ii.  p.  114. 

2  Ferguson,  Essay,  Frontispiece  and  Plate  i. 


INTERIOR  OF  THE  CITY. 


121 


sacred  cavern  of  the  Moslems  :  a  flight  of  steps  leads  down 
to  it.  This  chamber  is  of  irregular  form,  seven  feet  high, 
and  about  six  hundred  feet  in  length.  The  legend  of  the  place 
claims  for  it,  that  it  was  the  resort  for  prayer  of  Abraham, 
David,  Solomon,  and  Jesus  Christ ;  and  in  confirmation  of 
the  story,  the  places  are  shown  where  altars  are  said  to  have 
stood.  In  the  rocky  floor  there  is  a  circular  marble  slab, 
which,  if  struck,  yields  a  hollow  sound,  proceeding  from  a 
cavern  beneath,  known  as  Bir  Arruah,  the  fountain  of 
[wicked]  souls,  and  held  by  the  Moslems  to  be  the  entrance 
to  hell.  It  is  said  to  have  been  open  about  sixty  years  ago, 
and  to  have  been  accessible  to  those  who  wished  to  hold  con¬ 
verse  with  the  dead ;  but  since  then,  owing  to  the  dangers 
which  beset  those  who  entered  it,  it  was  closed.  The  corridors 
in  the  mosque,  so  brilliantly  lighted  by  the  number  of  the 
windows  and  the  reflection  of  the  sun  from  the  marble,  are 
in  strong  contrast  with  the  darkness  in  the  vault  beneath, 
where  one  strives  in  vain  to  read  the  quotations  from  the 
Koran  which  cover  the  walls.  The  crowd  of  wandering 
pilgrims  from  all  parts  of  the  earth,  of  all  races,  in  all  cos¬ 
tumes,  mingled  with  the  dervishes  in  their  green  talars,  who 
act  as  their  guides,  and  who  prostrate  themselves  with  them 
in  a  common  devotion,  gives  rise  to  the  strangest  scenes,  says 
Catherwood.  They  meet  at  a  spot  which  some  of  them  have 
spent  years  in  reaching,  coming  from  Calcutta,  Morocco, 
Central  Africa,  and  the  farthest  parts  of  Moslem  soil ;  and 
now,  in  ecstasy  at  having  attained  the  end  of  their  journey, 
and  at  seeing  a  free  access  to  paradise  ensured  to  them,  they 
are  ready  to  return,  wearing  the  title  of  Haji,  having  visited 
a  spot  only  second  in  holiness  to  Mecca  itself. 

South  of  the  Mosque  of  Omar  there  is  a  space  three 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  extent,  filled  with  leafy  cypresses 
and  other  trees,  among  which  are  seen  many  stations  hallowed 
to  Moslem  eyes,  and  erected  in  honour  of  Mohammed,  Ali, 
Omar,  Fatima,  and  other  saints.  Through  these  the  way 
leads  to  the  beautiful  architectural  remains  of  the  Church  of 
Justinian  and  the  Mosque  el  Aksa,  with  its  adjacent  build¬ 
ings,  of  wdiose  position  I  have  spoken  on  a  preceding  page. 


122 


PALESTINE. 


DISCURSION  V. 

THE  CHRISTIAN  QUARTER  OF  JERUSALEM,  WITH  GOLGOTIIA  AND  THE  CIIURCH 

OF  THE  HOLY  SEPULCHRE. 

It  only  remains  that  I  should  speak  of  the  north-west 
portion  of  the  city,  the  real  centre  of  the  Christian  life  of 
Jerusalem,  and  the  point  of  attraction  for  pilgrims  from  every 
part  of  Christendom,  because  it  contains  the  reputed  sepulchre 
of  Christ,  and  Golgotha.  This  place  has  been  held  in  reve¬ 
rence  for  more  than  fifteen  hundred  years;  and  whatever 
may  be  the  influences  from  it,  there  is  no  doubt  about  the 
fact.  Although  within  late  years  there  have  been  criticisms 
raised  adverse  to  the  arguments  derived  from  tradition,  archi¬ 
tectural  proofs,  and  various  authorities,  yet  it  must  in  fairness 
be  confessed,  that  in  the  present  stage  of  the  controversy  we 
are  far  removed  from  being  able  to  attain  to  any  settled 
conclusions  regarding  the  identity  of  the  ancient  Jewish 
Golgotha,  and  the  place  which  bears  the  name  at  the  present 
day.  I  am  compelled  to  pass  over  these  various  discussions, 
which  have  been  settled  in  a  different  way  in  almost  every 
work  which  has  appeared  on  Jerusalem,  and  to  refer  the 
reader  to  Toblers1  works  on  the  Holy  City,  in  which  he  has 
worked  out  the  whole  subject  even  in  its  minutest  details,  and 
cited  all  the  authors  who  have  brought  out  their  various  and 
conflicting  theories.  I  can  only  say  that  the  questions  raised 
cannot  be  settled  till  there  be  a  more  thorough  search  after 
existing  historical  monuments ;  and  until  that  is  done  there 
will  be  little  opportunity  for  fresh  results,  the  field  of  hypothesis 
being  nearly  exhausted.  The  manner  in  which  these  ques¬ 
tions  are  settled,  depends  confessedly  upon  the  course  of  the 
second  -wall  of  the  city,  which  ran  between  the  first  and  the 
third,  that  of  Agrippa,  which  Josephus  has  described,  and 
whose  course  I  have  on  a  preceding  page  indicated  in  general 
terms  as  extending  northward  through  the  heart  of  the  present 
city.  For  only  on  its  outside  could  the  Place  of  Skulls  lie  at 
the  time  of  Christ  (the  third  wall  of  Agrippa  not  being  built 
1  Tobler,  Golgotha,  seine Kirchen,  und  Kloster  nach  Quellen  und  Anscliau. 


CHRISTIAN  QUARTER  OF  JERUSALEM.  123 


till  ten  or  twelve  years  after  the  Saviour’s  death)  :  it  could  not 
be  in  the  interior  of  the  city,  since  the  Jews  would  suffer  no 
graves  but  those  of  their  kings  to  be  within  the  city  walls 
But  since  this  second  wall  as  well  as  every  part  of  Jerusalem 
was  completely  destroyed  by  Titus,  and  since,  from  the 
account  in  Josephus,  the  course  which  it  followed  can  be 
gathered  only  in  the  most  general  way,  to  try  to  follow  it  after 
its  destruction  must  be  a  matter  of  the  greatest  difficulty. 
There  was  left,  therefore,  a  wide  field  for  the  play  of  the 
fancy,  and  one  could  delineate  the  course  of  the  second  wall 
from  its  beginning  to  its  end  in  this  way,  another  in  that, 
according  as  each  applied  the  measurements  given  by  Josephus 
to  the  city  walls,  and  to  those  architectural  remains  which  are 
supposed  to  be  the  relics  of  ancient  walls,  and  which  are  now 
to  be  traced  incorporated  in  the  fortifications  as  they  exist  at 
present.  Others  have  taken  the  physical  character,  and  espe¬ 
cially  the  heights  and  slopes  of  the  various  parts  of  the  city, 
most  into  account;  others  the  old  legends  and  traditions, 
deciding  in  conformity  to  them  whether  the  reputed  site  of 
the  Holy  Sepulchre  and  the  Place  of  Skulls  lay  outside  or 
inside  of  that  second  wall.  The  second  wall,  says  Josephus, 
began  at  a  gate  called  Gennath  in  the  first  wall,  and  passing 
only  the  northern  part  of  the  city,  ran  up  as  far  as  the 
Antonia.  He  gives  us  nothing  but  this;  and  the  position 
even  of  the  gate  Gennath  is  unknown  to  us,  unless  occasional 
gate-pillars  and  arches  found  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
Hippicus  or  in  the  Street  of  David,  do  not  hint  with  more  or 
less  probability  at  the  existence  of  such  a  gate.  But  with 
regard  to  the  course  of  the  second  wall  northward  to  the 
Antonia,  there  are  nothing  but  conjectures,  possibilities, 
perhaps  here  and  there  probabilities,  but  nowhere  certainty. 
For  the  same  ancient  fragments  which,  for  example,  Schultz1 
and  Williams  consider  to  be  architectural  traces  of  former 
walls,  proving  that  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  was 
outside  of  the  lower  town  and  beyond  the  second  wall, 
appear  to  Krafft2  and  Tobler  to  be  no  proofs  of  a  line  of 

1  Schultz,  Jerusalem,  pp.  59-62 ;  as  well  as  Schultz  and  Gadow’s  plans. 

2  Krafft,  Tupogr.  pp.  25-34. 


124 


PALESTINE. 


circumvallation  once  existing  there.  Although  the  former  of 
these  two,  following  the  indications  of  an  eastern  position 
of  the  old  gate  Gennath  and  the  slopes  of  the  district,  locates 
this  second  wall,  like  his  predecessors,  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  yet  he  does  not  trace  the  wall 
to  the  Damascus  gate,  but  to  the  Porta  Judicaria,  and  thence, 
after  encountering  a  sharp  angle,  eastward  to  the  Antonia. 
Wolff,1  too,  doubts  whether  the  relics  referred  to  can  be 
considered  the  remains  of  a  connected  wall,  although  there 
appear  to  him  to  be  good  grounds  for  the  possibility,  and  even 
the  probability,  of  the  genuineness  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre. 
Tobler2  holds  decisively  to  the  theory  that  the  so-called  Church 
of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  occupies  a  site  within  the  second 
wall ;  but  he  bases  his  inference  upon  measurements  drawn 
from  Josephus,  which,  however,  are  held  by  others  as  by  far 
too  unreliable  to  be  accepted.  Tobler  holds  them  so  weighty, 
however,  that  in  view  of  them  he  does  not  hesitate  to  reject 
the  story  of  the  grave  and  the  discovery  of  the  cross  on  the 
site  of  the  present  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  Others 
before  him  have  not  laid  much  stress  upon  the  history  as  it 
has  come  down,  but  at  the  same  time  have  not  been  able  to 
confess  that  it  is  possible  for  tradition  to  mislead  entirely 
regarding  a  locality  which  is  so  fraught  with  interest.  Ac¬ 
cording  to  the  opinion  of  my  friend,  Finlay,3  the  author  of 
a  small  work,  On  the  Site  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre ,  the  exact¬ 
ness  of  the  Roman  municipal  arrangements,  the  detailed  lists 
of  names  of  places  which  they  made  out  for  the  collecting 
of  customs  as  well  as  the  exacting  of  taxes,  the  strict  care 
which  they  took  of  their  archives,  corroborated  by  the  fact 
that  the  Pandects  speak  of  the  colony  of  iElia  Capitolina, 
and  the  regular  census  taken  by  the  Roman  authorities  in 
Palestine,  afford  sufficient  proof  that  it  was  impossible  for  so 
important  a  place  as  Golgotha  to  fall  into  such  entire  oblivion, 
that  at  the  time  of  Constantine  and  Helena  a  wrong  location 
should  have  been  assigned  to  it.  Williams,4  on  the  contrary, 

1  Wolff,  Reise,  p.  81.  2  Tobler,  Golgotha,  p.  160. 

3  Finlay,  On  the  Site  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre ,  p.  40. 

4  Williams,  Holy  City ,  ii.  p.  68. 


CHRISTIAN  QUARTER  OF  JERUSALEM, .  125 


glories  in  following  tradition  with  perfect  confidence,  not¬ 
withstanding  that  its  voice  is  so  uncertain  after  the  long  lapse 
of  years,  and  goes  so  far  as  to  say  that  he  should  have  no 
hesitation  in  adopting  its  decisions,  even  if  all  topographical 
arguments  were  at  variance  with  it.  Robinson,1  adopting  an 
exactly  opposite  course,  had  so  firmly  persuaded  himself  during 
his  investigations  of  the  entire  want  of  trustworthiness  in  the 
traditionary  legends  current  throughout  Palestine,  that  he 
reposed  little  confidence  in  them,  and  entirely  discredited 
their  statements  regarding  the  site  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre. 
Those  statements  were,  that  the  Emperor  Hadrian  erected  a 
temple  of  Venus  on  the  site  of  the  Saviour’s  burial-place; 
and  that  at  the  time  of  the  Emperor  Constantine,  and  in  the 
presence  of  the  Empress  Helena,  the  true  cross  was  discovered 
there,  the  result  of  which  was  the  building  of  the  Church  of 
the  Holy  Sepulchre  and  that  of  Golgotha  upon  that  site. 
For  the  first  tradition  it  does  not  appear  that  there  is  any 
trustworthy  datum  existing,  since,  even  if  there  had  been  at 
the  time  of  Constantine  a  tradition  of  a  former  temple  of 
Venus  there,  the  place  would  never  have  been  a  resort  for 
Christian  pilgrims,  and  yet  its  being  so  would  be  the  only 
way  that  a  remembrance  of  its  sacred  character  could  be 
perpetuated  among  the  heathen.  Against  the  second  tradi¬ 
tion  the  silence  of  Eusebius  speaks  decisively,  who  must  have 
known  about  the  existence  of  such  a  temple  of  Hadrian. 
Later  authors,  however — Jerome,  for  example,  wlm  wrote 
seventy  years  later — give  the  legend,  but  in  a  way  which  differs 
from  Eusebius’  statement  regarding  the  Holy  Sepulchre. 
These  objections,  resting  as  they  do  upon  thorough  investiga¬ 
tions,  appear  to  be  incapable  of  being  set  aside,  even  although 
some  may  try,  as  Wilson2  has  done,  to  correct  some  minute 
details  in  the  facts  adduced  by  the  opponents  of  the  tradi¬ 
tional  theory.  But  when  Robinson3  goes  further,  and  seeks 
to  show  that  the  reputed  situation  of  Golgotha  and  the  Holy 
Sepulchre  cannot  be  the  true  one  because  it  lies  within  the 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  410  et  seq. 

2  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  i.  pp.  436-438. 

3  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  407  et  sq. 


126 


PALESTINE. 


second  wall,  which  is  contradictory  to  John  xix.  17,  20,  his 
argument  is  just  as  unsatisfactory  as  that  drawn  from  tradi¬ 
tion,  because  it  rests  upon  his  theory  of  the  course  of  that 
second  wall,  which  he,  after  careful  measurements  and  a 
minute  study  of  the  levels  and  slopes,  puts  on  the  west  side 
of  the  modern  church,  but  which  others,  after  equally  patient 
researches,  have  located  elsewhere.  For  the  Gennath  gate, 
where  the  wall  began,  cannot  lie,  it  is  said,  so  near  to  the 
Jaffa  gate  as  Robinson  supposed,  but  must  be  looked  for 
farther  eastward  in  the  Street  of  David.  Another  reason 
which  Robinson  gives,  that  the  locating  of  the  second  wall 
on  the  east  side  of  the  present  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre 
would  make  the  city  narrower  than  we  have  reason  to  think 
that  it  was,  and  would  have  given  it  a  singular  and  inex¬ 
plicable  form,  has  been  satisfactorily  disposed  of  by  Wolff.1 

If  we  cannot  come  to  any  settled  conclusions  regarding 
the  location  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  and  are  in  doubt  whether 
we  are  to  accept  the  site  which  is  now  occupied  by  the  church 
bearing  the  name,  or  to  reject  it,  we  are  equally  compelled 
to  doubt  whether  it  is  the  place  which  was  honoured  at  the 
time  of  Constantine  as  the  scene  of  the  Saviour’s  sufferings. 
Yet,  although  the  place  is  interesting  to  us  as  bearing  witness 
to  the  devout  piety  of  the  early  Christians,  and  their  affec¬ 
tionate  veneration  for  the  scenes  which  had  witnessed  such 
sad  scenes,  we  must  be  on  our  guard  against  assigning  any 
more  value  to  the  place  than  we  ought,  and  of  overrating 
the  worth  of  the  localities  where  Jesus  met  His  death,  lest 
they  should  lead  us  to  a  disguised  idolatry,  and  transform  our 
pilgrimages  into  pagan  devotions.  Robinson,2  in  speaking  of 
the  opposition  of  the  spirit  of  the  gospel  to  this,  states  with 
great  truth  and  force,  that  the  four  Evangelists,  although 
they  describe  with  great  minuteness  the  crucifixion  and  the 
resurrection  of  the  Lord,  yet  touch  lightly  on  his  grave,  and 
in  general  expressions ;  and  although  they  write  scores  of 
years  after  His  death,  yet  they  maintain  a  perfect  silence 
regarding  any  special  sanctity  connected  with  the  place  of 

1  Wolff,  Reise ,  pp.  81-83. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Researches ,  i.  p.  412. 


CHRISTIAN  QUARTER  OF  JERUSALEM.  127 


His  burial,  and  do  not  even  allude  to  it  in  the  subsequent 
apostolical  history,  although  they  mention  David’s  grave  in 
one  passage.  Even  the  great  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  whose 
constant  theme  is  the  death  and  resurrection  of  the  Lord, 
and  the  glory  of  His  cross,  does  not  make  an  allusion  in  all 
his  writings  to  the  scene  of  His  sufferings,  nor  to  their 
instrument.  On  the  contrary,  the  whole  purport  of  the 
Saviour’s  teaching,  and  that  of  Paul — indeed,  of  every  part  of 
the  New  Testament — is  to  draw  away  the  spirits  of  men  from 
their  incessant  regard  to  what  is  visible,  from  times  and 
places,  and  to  lead  true  Christians  to  worship  God  not  merely 
in  Jerusalem  and  on  Gerizim,  but  everywhere,  in  spirit  and 
in  truth.  But  so  far  as  the  point  is  of  interest  as  a  geo¬ 
graphical  question,  I  am  strongly  inclined  to  adopt  von 
Raumer’s1  view,  and  to  regard  it  as  still  open,  and  yet  to 
admit  that  a  pious  soul  may  receive  some  benefit  from  stand¬ 
ing,  not  on  the  unquestioned  scene  of  Jesus’  sufferings,  but 
in  the  immediate  neighbourhood,  and  reviewing  them  not  in 
the  spirit  of  idolatry,  but  in  that  which  comes  from  the 
recollection,  that  within  the  range  of  sight  the  Saviour  met 
His  death. 

The  contemporaneous  accounts  of  the  Evangelists  regard¬ 
ing  the  place  of  the  crucifixion  and  the  burial  of  J esus,  yet 
agree  perfectly  in  this,  that  they  were  both  outside  of  the 
gate  of  the  ancient  city,  but  near  to  it,  and  beyond  the  walls, 
but  not  far  from  them.  This  is  confirmed  by  the  statement 
in  Heb.  xiii.  12,  “  Wherefore  Jesus  also,  that  He  might 
sanctify  the  people  with  His  own  blood,  suffered  without  the 
gate.”  In  Matt,  xxvii.  32  we  read,  “  And  as  they  came  out , 
they  found  a  man  of  Cyrene,  Simon  by  name ;  him  they 
compelled  to  bear  His  cross.”  John  xix.  17  states,  “And 
He,  bearing  His  cross,  went  forth  into  a  place  called  the  place 
of  a  skull,  which  is  called  in  the  Hebrew,  Golgotha.”  And 
in  ver.  20,  “  This  title  [Jesus  of  Nazareth,  the  King  of  the 
Jews]  read  many  of  the  Jews;  for  the  place  where  Jesus 
was  crucified  was  nigh  to  the  city.”  And  again,  vers.  41, 
42,  “Now  in  the  place  where  He  was  crucified  there  was 
1  Yon  Raumer,  Re  Ur.  z.  Bill.  Geor/r.  pp.  55,  5G. 


128 


PALESTINE. 


a  garden ;  and  in  tlie  garden  a  new  sepulchre,  wherein  was 
never  man  yet  laid.  There  laid  they  Jesus  therefore,  because 
of  the  Jews’  preparation-day ;  for  the  sepulchre  was  nigh  at 
hand.” 

The  present  position  of  the  reputed  Golgotha  and  the 
Holy  Sepulchre  within  the  vralls  of  the  city  appears  to 
militate  against  that  statement :  yet  it  is  only  an  appearance 
of  contradiction,  if  one  thinks  of  the  fact  that  the  whole  north¬ 
west  corner  of  the  old  city  has  been  destroyed,  that  all  traces 
of  it  have  been  effaced,  that  the  new  wall  is  entirely  inde¬ 
pendent  of  the  ancient  one,  and  that  no  opinion  can  be  drawn 
from  the  situation  of  any  locality  in  this  part  of  the  modern 
city,  as  to  its  relative  situation  in  the  ancient  one.  Yet, 
notwithstanding  the  scriptural  statement  that  the  place  of 
crucifixion  and  of  burial  were  very  near  each  other,  it  is  a  little 
surprising  to  find  that  the  ecclesiastics  have  covered  both 
spots  with  a  single  roof,  and  that  a  mere  partition  separates 
the  portion  which  commemorates  the  place  of  Jesus’  death 
from  that  which  is  said  to  have  received  His  remains.  Struck 
by  this,  Thenius1  has  endeavoured  to  show,  and  has  displayed 
great  learning  and  acuteness  in  the  effort,  that  the  situation 
of  Golgotha  was  separated  some  distance  from  the  burial- 
place,  and  that  it  was  in  front  of  the  Damascus  gate,  on  the 
skull-shaped  hill  already  alluded  to,  in  which  the  cave  of 
Jeremiah  is  found. 

The  earlier  opinions  regarding  the  identity  of  the  place 
where  the  Saviour  suffered  have  already  been  critically 
considered  by  Robinson,2  from  Cotovic  to  Chateaubriand; 
but  I  can  only  follow  here  the  slight  traces  which  have 
to  serve  as  our  guide  over  the  city  as  it  exists  to-day,  with¬ 
out  sufficing  to  indicate  the  circumstantial  progress  of  the 
changes  which  have  occurred.  After  Titus’  destruction  of 
the  city,  a.d.  70,  there  remained  but  three  colossal  towers  as 
monuments  of  the  victory  gained  by  the  Romans  :  everything 
else  was  reduced  to  fragments.  For  half  a  century  Jeru¬ 
salem  remained  a  mere  garrison  for  Roman  soldiers,  stationed 

1  Comp.  Thenius  and  Rodiger,  in  Hall.  Allrj.  Lit.  Zeit.  1843,  No.  110. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  407  et  sq. 


CHRISTIAN  QUARTER  OF  JERUSALEM.  129 


there  to  guard  and  hold  the  land,  till  the  Emperor  -ZElias 
Hadrianus  began  to  carry  out  his  plan  of  restoring  the  city, 
for  the  purpose  of  making  it  the  seat  of  a  temple  of  Jupiter. 
This  was  in  the  year  132.  He  gave  to  the  Roman  colony 
located  there  the  name  of  TElia  Capitolina,  in  honour  of  his 
new  temple.  Although  at  the  time  of  Titus’  conquest  the 
J ewish  population  of  the  city  was  almost  entirely  annihilated, 
or  scattered  through  the  neighbouring  lands,  yet  their  num¬ 
ber  had  increased  in  the  other  portions  of  Palestine,  so  much 
so  as  to  foment  a  formidable  spirit  of  discontent,  when  they 
were  compelled  to  bring  their  tribute  up  to  their  old  capital, 
and  to  contribute  it  to  the  servitors  of  the  heathen  temple 
erected  in  honour  of  Jupiter  Capitolinus.  At  length  the 
long-cherished  hatred  and  murmurings  broke  out  in  a  terrible 
rebellion  against  the  sway  of  Hadrian,1  beginning  at  a  place 
called  Betlier,2  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Jerusalem,  whose 
position,  however,  fell  into  oblivion,  till  it  was  discovered 
by  Williams.  Kirbet  el  Jehud,  i.e.  the  Ruins  of  the  Jews, 
is  the  name  given  by  the  Arabs  to  an  old  fortress  surrounded 
with  a  fosse  excavated  from  the  rock,  near  to  the  new  village 
of  Beitir,  near  Jerusalem.  This  Beitir,  which  lies  in  Wadi 
Bittir,  is  thought  by  Williams3  to  commemorate  the  site  of  the 
ancient  Bether.  He  has  also  discovered  a  kind  of  fortification 
south-east  of  the  spring  Ain  Yalo,  where  the  local  legend 
locates  the  Philip’s  Fountain.  The  Arabs  still  preserve  the 
tradition,  without  knowing  whence  it  is  derived.  The  Jews 
converted  Bether  into  a  fortification,  and  some  forty  cities 
entered  into  an  alliance.  They  even  succeeded  in  re-forti¬ 
fying  Jerusalem  during  the  absence  of  Hadrian.  Two  years 
of  war  followed,  full  of  cruelty  and  terrible  defeat,  resulting 
in  the  entire  restoration  of  the  Roman  authority,  and  the  dis¬ 
persion  of  the  Jews  as  slaves  over  the  entire  earth.  All  who 
were  not  killed  in  the  strife  met  this  ignominious  fate,  were 
banished  from  Palestine,  and  forbidden  under  penalty  of 
death  ever  entering  TElia  Capitolina  again.  The  Christians, 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  366. 

2  Krafft,  Topogr.  p.  224. 

3  Bartlett,  Walks,  etc.,  p.  246. 


VOL.  IV. 


T 


130 


PALESTINE. 


on  the  contrary,  were  permitted  to  have  free  access.  It  is 
probable  that  the  Christian  community,  which  at  the  time  of 
Titus’  siege  had  withdrawn  across  the  Jordan  with  its  bishops 
to  Pella,  at  Hadrian’s1  time  returned  to  the  city,  their  former 
home,  though  now  a  heathen  capital,  whose  very  name 
Jerusalem  had  completely  passed  away,  as  we  learn  both 
from  coins,  and  also  from  the  works  of  contemporary  Roman 
writers. 

These  Christians  had  suffered  not  a  little  from  the 
Palestine  J ews  during  the  time  of  rebellion.  The  list  of  their 
bishops,  from  the  first  (Jacobus  f rater  Domini)  to  the  last 
(Judas,  who  died  at  Pella,  the  fifteenth  of  the  line),  were  all 
of  the  lineage  of  David,  of  the  countrymen  of  Jesus ;  but 
after  their  return  to  Jerusalem,  in  order  to  put  away  every 
trace  of  Judaism,  they  discontinued  the  custom  of  selecting 
their  bishops  from  Jewish  proselytes,  but  chose  them  from 
the  converted  Gentiles,  beginning  with  Marcus  the  sixteenth, 
who  was  contemporary  with  Hadrian.  Thence  the  number 
went  on  till,  at  the  time  of  Constantine,2  the  twenty-fifth 
bishop  (Macarius)  was  in  power  (not  the  Macarius  who  was 
present  at  the  Council  of  Nice,  who  was  the  forty-first  of  the 
entire  list). 

This  succession  of  bishops  is  the  only  possible  means  by 
which  the  traditions  regarding  the  location  of  the  Holy 
Sepulchre  could  have  been  preserved  up  to  the  time  of 
Constantine.  Yet  there  is  no  allusion  anions;  the  church 
fathers  to  the  site  of  Golgotha ;  and  it  seems  as  if  the  sixty- 
five  years’  sojourn  at  Pella  so  effectually  served  to  efface  all 
recollection  of  it,  that  the  discovery  of  it  at  the  time  of  Con¬ 
stantine  and  Helena  appears  more  in  the  light  of  a  miracle 
than  of  an  ordinary  occurrence.  From  the  Jews  no  recol¬ 
lections  of  the  locality  were  to  be  expected;  for  only  after 
centuries  of  banishment,  and  after  Constantine  had  become 
a  Christian,  was  it  permitted  to  them  to  enter  the  city,  and 
drop  their  tears  over  the  desecrated  ruins  of  their  sacred 
places. 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  3G9  et  sq. 

2  Credner,  Nicephori  Chronographia  brevis ,  Pt.  ii.  pp.  35,  36. 


CHRISTIAN  QUARTER  OF  JERUSALEM.  131 


It  must  be  confessed,  that  subsequently  to  Hadrian’s  time 
there  was  not  an  absolute  lack  of  Christians  in  Jerusalem, 
although  those  who  were  there  were  subjected  to  incessant 
persecutions.  Nothing,  however,  is  known  definitely  regarding 
their  bishops  and  churches,  although  Eusebius  tells  us  that  the 
bishop  Alexander  founded  a  library  there,  and  that  Christian 
pilgrims 1  were  casually  there,  who,  however,  at  that  time — the 
end  of  the  third  and  the  beginning  of  the  fourth  centuries — 
directed  tlieir  thoughts  to  the  place  where  Jesus  was  born, 
and  where  He  ascended  to  heaven.  The  pilgrimage  most 
fruitful  in  results  was  that  of  the  Empress  Helena,  the 
mother  of  Constantine,  who  in  the  year  326  visited  the 
Holy  Land,  in  order  to  return  her  thanks  for  the  conversion  of 
her  son,  and  for  the  success  which  had  attended  his  efforts  to 
disseminate  Christianity  throughout  the  entire  Koman  Empire, 
and  also  to  pray  for  the  conversion  of  her  grandson.  All  the 
church  fathers  of  the  fifth  century  agree  in  the  statement, 
that  in  the  year  above  mentioned  Helena  was  present  at  the 
discovery  of  the  grave  of  the  Saviour,  which  had  previously 
been  covered  with  rubbish,,  and  with  a  temple  erected  in 
honour  of  Venus.  Eusebius,  however,  the  contemporary 
and  biographer  of  Constantine  the  Great,  makes  an  allusion 
indeed  to  the  discovery  of  the  grave  of  Christ,  but  ascribes  it 
to  a  divine  impulse  given  to  the  mind  of  the  emperor  himself, 
who  determined  to  make  the  place  a  consecrated  spot,  and  to 
erect  there  a  house  of  worship.  Eusebius  makes  no  allu¬ 
sion  to  the  discovery  of  the  cross  on  which  the  Saviour  was 
crucified;  yet  Cyril,  the  bishop  of  Jerusalem  in  348,  not  a 
quarter  of  a  century  later,  states  that  the  true  cross  had  been 
preserved,  and  was  an  object  of  veneration  to  the  church. 
Jerome  makes  incidental  allusions  also  to  its  existence, 
but  neither  of  these  ascribe  its  discovery  to  the  efforts  of 
Helena.  The  so-called  Bordeaux  pilgrim,  who  visited  the 
Holy  Sepulchre  in  333,  during  the  erection  of  the  church 
there,  says  nothing  about  the  discovery  of  the  cross  :  he  is, 
however,  the  first  witness  to  the  fact  that  then  the  site  of  the 
grave  had  been  fixed,  and  he  is  the  first  to  speak  of  the  church 
1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  372  KrafTt,  Topogr.  p.  230. 


132 


PALESTINE. 


which  had  been  begun  on  that  site  :  a  sinistra  parte  est 

monticulus  Golgotha,  ubi  Dominus  crucifixus  est.  Inde  quasi 
ad  lapidis  missum  est  cripta,  ubi  corpus  ejus  positum  fuit  et 
tertia  die  resurrexit.  Ibidem  modo  jusso  Constantini  Im- 
peratoris  basilica  facta  est,  id  est  dorninicum,  mirse  pulchri- 
tudinis,  habens  ad  latus  excepturia,  unde  aqua  levatur,  et 
balneum  a  tergo,  ubi  infantes  lavantur,  etc.1 

It  is  only  when  we  come  to  the  church  historians  of  the 
fifth  century,  that  the  story  of  the  discovery  of  the  cross  on 
the  scene  of  Jesus’  sufferings  begins  to  be  draped  with  all  the 
fantastic  habiliments  of  a  circumstantial  history,  and  takes 
its  rank  as  a  miracle.  Once  accepted  on  this  ground,  it  not 
only  was  retained  by  the  priests,  but  received,  besides,  fresh 
additions  and  decorations  with  advancing  years.  Yet  it  is 
not  to  be  discredited  that  a  cross  was  found  in  348  in  the 
same  church  in  which  Cyril  frequently  preached,  the  same 
cross  before  which  the  pious  Paula  prostrated  himself  in 
devotion  in  404,  even  although  the  miraculous  discovery  of 
this  so-called  true  cross  be  admitted  to  be  a  mere  idle  legend. 

The  Empress  Helena  died  directly  after  her  return  to 
Constantinople  from  Palestine,  in  the  year  327  or  328 ;  but 
the  prestige  of  her  name  grew  from  age  to  age,  till  in  the 
fourteenth  century  there  were  no  less  titan  thirty  churches  in 
the  land  ascribed  to  her  as  the  founder.  Eusebius,  in  the 
eulogistic  life  of  Constantine  the  Great,  may  have  gone  quite 
far  enough  in  denying  to  Helena  the  honour  of  laying  the 
foundation  of  these  establishments,  in  order  the  more  to 
enhance  the  glory  of  the  emperor  himself ;  but  it  is  certain 
that  the  credit  cannot  be  denied  to  the  mother  of  founding 
two  churches, — that  at  Bethlehem,  and  that  of  the  Resurrec¬ 
tion  on  the  Mount  of  Olives.  These  the  emperor  decorated 
profusely  after  the  death  of  Helena,  but  he  did  not  found 
them.  Eusebius  grants  to  the  empress  a  share  in  the  honour 
of  discovering  the  true  cross ;  but  the  building  of  the  Church 
of  the  Sepulchre  he  ascribes  to  Constantine  alone.  His  state¬ 
ment  is,  that  after  the  Council  of  Nice2  the  emperor  wished 

1 1  tin.  Hierosolym.  in  I  tin.  Anton,  ed.  Parthey,  pp.  279,  280. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  373. 


CHRISTIAN  QUARTER  OF  JERUSALEM.  133 


to  hallow  the  place  of  the  Saviour’s  resurrection  by  building 
some  structure  which  should  be  an  object  of  universal  re¬ 
verence  ;  for  long  before  the  time  of  Constantine,  frivolous- 
minded  men,  or  rather  the  whole  race  of  demons  acting 
through  them,  had  sought  to  consign  to  oblivion  the  place 
which  bore  the  glorious  witness  to  the  immortality  of  the 
spirit.  Now  these  words  of  Eusebius  can  be  understood 
in  this  sense,1  that  in  order  to  offer  a  purposed  insult  to  the 
Christians,  the  grave  of  Christ,  which  had  been  known 
before,  had  been  filled  with  filth  and  covered  with  earth,  in 
order  to  get  a  paved  foundation  to  erect  a  temple  of  Venus 
upon.  This  view  is  also  indicated  in  Jerome’s  comments 
upon  Eusebius’  account,  contained  in  the  Epist.  ad  Paulin. 
49,  where  he  says,  that  from  the  time  of  Hadrian  to  that  of 
Constantine  the  Great,  a  hundred  and  eighty  years,  a  statue 
of  Jupiter  (of  which  Eusebius  makes  no  mention)  occupied 
the  place  of  the  resurrection,  and  a  marble  one  of  Venus 
stood  upon  Golgotha.  The  latter,  he  says,  was  held  in 
veneration  by  the  heathen ;  and  at  the  time  when  it  was  set 
there,  it  was  thought  that  it  would  be  a  good  means  of  causing 
the  Christians  to  lose  the  recollection  of  the  cross  and  the 
resurrection,  if  the  places  considered  sacred  were  covered  with 
the  images  of  Roman  gods  and  goddesses.  But  so  far  from 
accomplishing  this  object,  it  only  impressed  the  Christians 
more  deeply  with  reverence  for  the  places  so  desecrated,  and 
caused  them  to  cherish  them  with  the  greater  care.  The 
empress  took  an  interest  in  the  restoration  of  the  honour  due 
to  the  sacred  localities,  and  gained  from  her  son  permission 
that  the  heathen  shrines  should  be  destroyed.  Constantine 
thus  coming  upon  the  scene  as  the  avenger  of  the  scandal 
done  to  the  Christians,  overthrew  the  profane  temple  and 
images  which  had  been  set  up,  and  had  the  grave  of  Jesus 
cleared  of  its  impurities, — thus  indirectly  bringing  it  into  the 
notice  of  men  once  more.  He  gave  orders  to  bishop  Macarius 
that  a  magnificent  house  of  worship  should  be  erected  over 
it,  as  we  learn  from  a  letter  which  Eusebius  has  pre¬ 
served  in  his  life  of  Constantine.  The  imperial  edict  was  also 
1  Krafft,  Topocjr.  pp.  172,  173,  234. 


134 


PALESTINE. 


given  to  the  governors  of  the  eastern  provinces,  that  money 
should  be  collected  towards  the  defrayal  of  the  expenses  of 
erecting  this  church,  the  emperor  himself  promising  to  provide 
the  marble  pillars.  In  this  letter  he  also  inquires  of  the  bishop 
whether  he  would  prefer  a  panelled  roof,  or  some  other  kind. 

Bishop  Macarius  died  during  the  first  year  after  the 
church  was  begun ;  but  his  successor  Maximus  prosecuted 
the  work,  which  progressed  so  that  the  pilgrim  of  Bordeaux 
visited  it  in  333,  when  Helena  had  been  dead  six  years. 
In  the  thirtieth  year  of  the  emperor’s  reign  it  was  completed, 
and  a  great  council  was  convened  at  Tyre  for  the  purpose  of 
taking  part  in  its  dedication.  On  the  list  of  this  council  was 
Eusebius,  who  as  an  eye-witness  has  left  us  a  description  of 
the  building,  difficult  to  be  understood  indeed,  but  which 
Krafft 1  has  compared  so  successfully  with  the  present  con¬ 
dition  of  the  place,  as  to  make  it  evident  that,  despite  the 
repeated  destructions  and  changes,  the  original  site  is  to  be 
recognised  in  the  massive  and  very  peculiar  building  which 
covers  the  reputed  Golgotha  as  well  as  the  place  of  the 
crucifixion. 

Although,  in  what  has  been  adduced  above,  there  are  no 
positive  proofs,  yet  there  are  weighty  grounds  for  believing 
that  the  site  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre2  is  to  be  looked  for  be¬ 
neath  the  church  erected  by  Constantine;  and  that,  moreover, 
Golgotha  (only  a  stone’s  throw  away,  says  the  Itin.  Bur  dig.) 
was  the  place  now  bearing  the  name,  and  receiving  the 
honour  paid  to  it.  The  u  Monticulus  Golgotha  ”  of  the  Itin. 
Burdig .,  thirty-five  feet,  according  to  Tobler,  above  the  lowest 
part  of  the  chapel  where  the  cross  is  said  to  have  been  found; 
the  rock  called  by  Jerome  Crucis  rupes,  by  which  the  place 
of  execution — Calvaria,  the  upaviov  of  Luke  xxiii.  33,  and  the 
KpavLov  toVo?  of  the  other  Evangelists — can  be  easily  recog¬ 
nised  at  the  present  time3  in  the  tract  covered  by  the  pile  of 
ecclesiastical  buildings;  and  Goath,  the  older  name  of  the 

1  Krafft,  Topogr.  pp.  236-241. 

2  See  also  the  statements  in  Scholtz,  Williams,  and  Schultz  on  this 
subject. 

3  Krafft,  Topogr.  pp.  157-159,  170,  235,  Note. 


CHRISTIAN  QUARTER  OF  JERUSALEM.  135 


same  locality,  designated  in  Jer.  xxxi.  38-40  as  the  place  of 
execution  of  malefactors,  but  afterwards,  when  the  Aramaean 
dialect  became  predominant,  applied  to  the  skull-shaped 
top  of  the  hill, — certainly  are  terms  applied  to  the  ground 
immediately  contiguous  to  the  church.  Jerome  tells  us  that 
Christ  was  buried  on  the  north  side  of  the  hill  Goas;  in  which 
the  word  Goath  of  the  prophet’s  time  and  the  later  Golgotha 
are  unmistakeable.  This  Goath  lay,  however,  unquestionably 
outside  of  the  city  walls. 

The  tomb  which  was  brought  to  light  by  the  removal  of 
dirt  and  rubbish,  as  alluded  to  on  a  preceding  page,  may 
easily  be  conceived  of  as  having  an  aspect  different  from  the 
other  vaults,  as  might  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  it  be¬ 
longed  to  the  wealthy  councillor  of  Arimathsea.  At  the  time 
that  the  great  work  was  erected  above  it  by  Constantine,  it 
may  have  received  the  form  in  which  Bishop  Arculfus1  found 
it  in  the  year  698,  who  describes  it  as  a  round  chapel  hewn 
out  of  the  rock,  ornamented  externally  with  beautiful  marble 
decorations,  but  tasteless  in  the  interior,  and  still  bearing  in 
the  red  limestone  marks  of  the  chisel.  He  gives  it  the  Latin 
name  Tegorium ,  or  a  place  roofed  over.  In  the  year  614 — • 
that  is,  eighty  years  before  his  day — a  terrible  desolation  had 
been  brought  to  the  whole  neighbourhood,  and  indeed  to  the 
entire  city  of  Jerusalem,  by  the  invasion  of  the  Persians 
under  Chosroes  n. ;  and  even  the  church  erected  by  Con¬ 
stantine  had  perished  in  the  flames.  The  most  weighty 
confirmation  which  has  been  adduced  within  our  times  in 
support  of  the  genuineness  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  is  that 
given  by  Schultz,2  w’ho  has  himself  discovered  beneath  it  the 
remains  of  ancient  graves,,  This  makes  it  certain  that  the 
place  was  outside  of  the  city,  and  beyond  the  second  wall ; 
and  though  it  does  not  settle  the  question  of  the  genuineness 
of  the  spot,  it  at  least  sets  aside  one  class  of  objections.  In 
the  west  wall  of  the  rotunda  which  surrounds  and  overarches 
the  reputed  Holy  Sepulchre,  there  is,  according  to  Schultz,  a 
door  which  leads  to  a  little  chapel  belonging  to  the  Jacobite 

1  Krafft,  Topugr.  p.  173  ;  Schultz,  Jerusalem ,  p.  93. 

2  Schultz,  Jerusalem,  pp.  96,  97. 


136 


PALESTINE. 


Syrians ;  and  out  of  this,  again,  leads  a  second  door  to  a 
narrow  space,  in  which  three  men  can  hardly  find  place,  and 
in  which  one  can  scarcely  stand  erect.  The  eastern  side 
forms  the  wall  of  the  rotunda ;  on  the  other  sides  the  primi¬ 
tive  rock  surrounds  it,  and  in  this  rock  are  found  the  graves 
running  horizontally  into  the  wall.  On  the  floor  there  are 
also  graves,  but  these  are  sunk  perpendicularly :  they  all 
bear  the  interchangeable  name  of  the  graves  of  Nicodemus 
and  Arimathsea.  The  discovery  of  them  is  not  new  indeed : 
they  have  been  long  known,  but  were  held  to  have  been 
made  by  the  crusaders,  by  those  who  overlooked  one  im¬ 
portant  point  in  their  structure.  Those  sunk  perpendicularly 
in  the  rock  may  very  probably  belong  to  the  crusaders,  and 
were  excavated,  it  is  not  unlikely,  out  of  a  natural  desire  to 
be  buried  near  to  the  place  where  the  Lord  lay.  But  those 
which  are  sunk  horizontally  in  the  rock  are  almost  exactly 
similar  to  the  most  ancient  niches  found  in  the  old  necro¬ 
polis  around  Jerusalem.  Yet  Tobler1  refuses  to  admit  the 
validity  of  this  reasoning,  and  assigns  these  excavations  to 
the  labours  of  monks.  Schultz 2  closes  his  remarks  under 
this  head  with  the  observation,  that  it  seems  to  him  unques¬ 
tionable  that  here  was  an  ancient  burial-place  long  before 
the  erection  of  the  Church  of  the  Sepulchre;  an  ancient 
Jewish  rock-tomb,  indeed,  excavated  prior  to  the  destruc¬ 
tion  of  the  city  by  the  Romans.  Schultz  thinks  that  Robin¬ 
son  has  worked  out  the  history  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  with 
great  exactness  and  learning ;  and  I  will  only  refer  to  his 
work  for  more  full  statements. 

Eusebius  has  communicated  the  earliest  description  of  the 
earliest  church — the  one  dating  from  the  time  of  Constantine. 
This  has  been  compared  by  Krafft,  notwithstanding  the  great 
difficulty  of  the  attempt,  with  the  structure  in  its  present 
shape, — a  task  which  Schultz,  great  as  was  his  facility  and 
adequate  his  preparation,  shrank  from.  In  the  manuals  of 
the  history  of  art 3  there  are  no  allusions  to  this  earliest  of  the 

1  Tobler,  in  Ausland ,  1848,  No.  92,  pp.  365,  366. 

2  Schultz,  Jerusalem ,  pp.  97,  98  ;  Kobinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  371. 

3  Kugler,  Handbuch  der  Kunstgeschichte ,  p.  362. 


CHRISTIAN  QUARTER  OF  JERUSALEM.  137 


line  of  churches  which  have  crowned  the  same  site  from  Con¬ 
stantine’s  day  down  to  our  own.  The  peculiar  style  as  well 
as  the  massiveness  of  the  first  of  these,  corresponding  well  as 
it  did  with  the  deep  and  earnest  piety  of  its  builders,  though 
often  spoken  of  as  a  mark  of  their  superstition,  and  the  un¬ 
deniable  traces  still  to  be  seen  in  the  basis  of  the  present 
church,  impart  to  this  description  of  Eusebius  a  high  degree 
of  interest,  despite  the  fact  that  repeated  destructions,  the 
erection  of  contiguous  buildings,  and  the  overloaded  adorn¬ 
ments  lavished  by  monkish  taste,  have  given  to  the  whole  a 
modernized  appearance.  The  first  entire  destruction  of  Jeru¬ 
salem  in  the  Byzantine1  period — in  the  year  614 — effected 
by  the  Persians  under  Chosroes  11.,  in  which  the  Church  of 
the  Holy  Sepulchre  perished  by  fire,  and  all  the  Christians, 
priests,  and  pilgrims  were  massacred  or  carried  into  captivity, 
was  followed  in  1010  by  a  second  complete  destruction  of  the 
restored  church,  effected  by  the  Egyptian  Caliph  Hakem,2 
the  prophet  of  the  Druses.  And  although  the  building  was 
restored  in  1048  by  the  Emperor  Romanus,  yet  before  and 
after  the  Crusades  —  from  1048  to  1808  —  it  underwent 
various  injurious3  changes,  so  that  its  Byzantine  character 
gradually  disappeared,  without  being  totally  lost.  Here  and 
there,  parts  of  walls,  gates,  pillars,  and  other  ornaments,  are 
found  still  preserved  from  the  older  buildings. 

The  modern  descriptions  of  the  exterior  and  the  interior 
of  the  pile  of  buildings  which,  taken  together,  bear  the  name 
of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  of  the  convents,  pilgrims’  stations, 
altars,  ceremonies,  and  festivities,  particularly  those  at  Easter 
and  Whitsuntide,4  have  been  so  often5  repeated  that  they  are 
sufficiently  well  known  ;  and  I  need  not  dwell  on  them,  but 

1  Robinson.  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  385. 

2  Ibid.  i.  p.  395. 

3  Ibid.  i.  pp.  396,  403,  407. 

*  J.  M.  A.  Schultz,  Reise,  pp.  225-230. 

6  Bartlett,  Walks ,  pp.  168-185  ;  Roberts,  The  Holy  Land ,  Book  i. : 
frontispiece  and  various  views  in  the  same  work.  See  also  Krafft  for 
the  best  outlines,  p.  238  ;  Tobler's  Golgotha ;  and  Williams’  Holy  City , 
Tab.  i.  PI.  ii.  and  iii. 


138 


PALESTINE. 


will  pass  to  Eusebius’  description  of  the  first  Church  of  the 
Holy  Sepulchre,  undertaken  directly  after  Constantine  had 
sent  the  letter  to  Bishop  Macarius  ordering  the  edifice  to  be 
built. 

The  work  was  begun  in  the  new  town,1  opposite  to  the 
old, — a  fact  which  gives  Eusebius  an  opportunity  to  allude 
piously  to  the  New  Jerusalem.  At  that  time  it  seems  to  have 
been  well  known  that  this  part  of  the  city  lay  outside  the 
walls  at  the  time  of  Christ.  The  grave  itself,  as  the  central 
point  of  interest,  was  adorned  with  carefully  selected  columns, 
and  with  all  kinds  of  decorations.  A  space  paved  with  parti¬ 
coloured  stones  surrounded  the  grave,  and  was  shut  in  on 
three  sides  by  rows  of  pillars  (now  in  the  interior  of  the 
church)  :  no  roof  rested  upon  them,  as  is  the  case  likewise 
with  Abraham’s  grave  in  Hebron,  already  referred  to ;  but 
the  court  with  the  motley  pavement  lay  under  the  open  sky. 
Opposite  to  the  fourth  side,  the  entrance  to  the  sepulchre, 
which  faced  the  rising  sun,  the  Basilica  closed  the  view, — a 
wonderful  work,  according  to  Eusebius,  of  imposing  height,  and 
of  great  length  and  breadth.  He  first  describes  the  central 
nave,  whose  inner  walls  were  decorated  with  tablets  of  varie¬ 
gated  marble,  and  whose  exterior  was  beautified  with  polished 
and  well-joined  stones.  The  roof  was  covered  with  tin,  in 
order  to  keep  off  the  rain  :  the  interior  was  of  finely  panelled 
wood-work,  richly  gilded,  and  throwing  its  glancing  beams 
over  the  whole  floor.  Then  follows  the  description  of  the 
side  naves  or  aisles,  which  were  divided  into  two  parts,  one 
of  which  was  subterranean.  Of  equal  length  with  the 
main  nave,  their  roofs  were  also  heavily  gilded.  The  side 
aisles  above  the  ground  were  boarded  by  colossal  columns : 
those  below  supported  their  roofs  with  carved  pillars.  Three 
doors  at  the  east  end  of  the  Basilica  received  the  throng  of 
pilgrims. 

Eusebius  returns,  in  his  description,  to  the  spot  of  main 
interest,  viz.  to  the  Holy  Sepulchre  itself,  and  describes  its 
adornments  more  minutely.  It  lay  at  the  western  end  of  the 
Basilica,  and  was  the  point  where  all  converging  lines  natu- 
1  Krafft,  Topog.  pp.  236-239. 


CHRISTIAN  QUARTER  OF  JERUSALEM.  139 


rally  met.  It  was  shaped  like  a  horse-shoe,  there  being  oil  the 
east  side  three  small  recesses  or  chapels,  which  the  Basilica 
joined  still  farther  east,  while  the  extreme  western  point  or 
absis  was  occupied  by  the  sacred  grave.  This,  it  will  be 
noticed,  took  the  place  of  an  altar,  and  was  at  the  w  'stern 
extremity  of  the  whole,  instead  of  being  at  the  eastern.  It 
was  surrounded  by  twelve  columns — the  number  of  the  dis¬ 
ciples;  and  upon  these  were  twelve  caskets,  all  of  them  the 
offerings  of  piety.  Eusebius  then  passes  to  a  description  of 
the  courts  east  and  in  front  of  the  Basilica.  The  one  nearest 
to  it  had  recesses  or  chapels  on  both  sides,  and  gates  opened 
from  it  to  a  market-place,  in  whose  centre  arose  other  richly 
ornamented  gates  ;  the  propylceci  of  the  whole  hinting  to  the 
passer-by  what  splendour  was  contained  within. 

Eusebius  makes  no  allusion  to  what  was  found  within  the 
ancient  sepulchral  vault  itself ;  but  Antoninus  Martyr,  writ¬ 
ing  about  the  year  600,  and  before  the  Persian  invasion,  says 
that  it  was  hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock,  after  the  fashion  of  a 
church  (the  present  Chapel  of  the  Resurrection,  the  Anastasis 
of  the  Greeks,  and  the  Kiyameh  of  the  Arabs),  and  that  it 
was  overlaid  with  silver.  According  to  Arculfus’  account, 
marble  took  the  place  of  silver  at  a  later  period.  The  half 
circle,  or  horse-shoe-shaped  space,  still  exists  around  the  grave, 
but  it  is  now  overarched  with  a  cupola,  and  a  great  window 
is  just  above  the  reputed  site  of  the  sepulchre.  East  of  this 
semicircular  space  we  come  at  once  to  the  central  nave  of 
the  church.  The  elevation  of  the  hill  Golgotha,  which  is 
embraced  by  the  building  above  the  floor  at  the  south-eastern 
part,  is  the  unquestionable  reason  why  the  side  naves  were 
constructed  both  above  and  below  the  surface,  and  why,  for 
the  sake  of  symmetry,  the  same  arrangement  was  retained  in 
the  north  side  of  the  main  nave  of  the  Basilica.  The  sub¬ 
terranean  Helena  Chapel  close  by  the  north-east  side  of  the 
Golgotha  Chapel,  known  as  the  Martyrion,  with  the  tradi¬ 
tional  site  of  the  discovery  of  the  cross,  which  is  close  by  the 
east  side  of  the  main  nave  of  the  Church  of  the  Sepulchre, 
may  take  the  place  of  one  of  those  side  halls  or  chapels  which 
were  east  of  the  Basilica.  Eusebius  does  not  speak  of  the 


140 


PALESTINE. 


last  two  of  these ;  but  Antoninus  Martyr  informs  us,  that  in 
a  room  connected  with  the  vestibule  of  the  Basilica,  the  wood 
of  the  cross  was  preserved  for  the  veneration  of  believers. 
The  remains  of  a  great  gate,  which  dates  back  to  the  Byzan¬ 
tine  epoch,  appear  to  have  served  as  the  propylcea  of  the 
church  erected  by  Constantine.1 

The  architectural  character  of  the  structure  of  the  first 
Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  says  Krafft  in  his  instructive 
delineation,  was  connected  in  the  closest  manner  with  the 
situation  of  Golgotha  and  of  the  grave  of  the  Lord.  Entirely 
in  antagonism  to  the  usual  custom  of  putting  the  entrance  at 
the  west  and  the  altar  at  the  east,  towards  the  rising  sun,  in 
the  Church  of  the  Sepulchre  the  sacred  spot  which  took  the 
place  of  the  altar  was  at  the  west.  But  it  was  considered 
necessary  to  embrace  within  the  compass  of  the  building  the 
hill  of  Golgotha  east  of  the  grave ;  and  at  the  same  time 
the  Holy  Sepulchre  must  remain,  as  just  indicated,  the  most 
sacred  spot  of  all, — the  place  which  conferred  an  especial 
sanctity  upon  the  whole"  edifice ;  or,  to  use  the  words  of 
Eusebius,  it  must  take  the  place  of  the  altar.  From  this 
came  the  idea,  that  out  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  in  the  west 
of  the  Church  of  the  World,  a  new  Sun,  namely  Christ,  had 
arisen  on  Easter  morning.  F urther,  had  the  builders  crowded 
the  nave  into  a  position  west  of  the  grave,  through  the  rapid 
rise  of  the  land  from  east  to  west,  the  sepulchre  would  have 
lain  altogether  too  low  in  relation  to  the  rest  of  the  building  ; 
while,  built  as  it  was,  it  was  so  high,  that,  as  Antoninus 
Martyr  says,  a  blessing  seemed  to  flow  forth  from  it  upon  all 
the  throng  of  worshippers  in  the  main  body  of  the  church. 
This  gives  us  the  key  to  the  remarkable  position  of  the  pre¬ 
sent  church ;  only  there  has  crept  in  during  modern  times 
this  change,  that  a  choir  has  been  erected  at  the  eastern  end 
of  the  nave,  and  the  entrance  has  been  transferred  to  the 
southern  side.  The  disagreeable  access  through  the  small 
court,  and  the  unattractive  arched  gates  near  it,  are  so  well 
known  from  the  accounts  of  travellers,  that  I  need  only 
allude  to  them.  Rev.  Professor  Willis  has  given,  in  Williams’ 
1  Krafft,  Topogr.  pp.  30,  239. 


CHRISTIAN  QUARTER  OF  JERUSALEM.  141 


Holy  City ,  a  circumstantial  history  of  the  erection  of  the 
Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre.1 

It  is  a  very  instructive  task  to  trace  the  influence  of  this 
building  of  Constantine’s  upon  the  ecclesiastical  style  of  the 
West,  made  very  prominent  as  it  was  by  the  influence  of  two 
political  friends  and  allies,  who  rank  among  the  mightiest 
princes2  whom  the  earth  has  seen — the  Caliph  Haroun  el 
Baschid  and  Charlemagne.  This  influence  was  not  made 
the  less  through  the  East  or  the  West,  from  the  fact  that  the 
great  Byzantine  Empire  lay  between  those  inonarchs.  As 
the  defender  of  Christianity,  Charles  sent  an  ambassador 3  to 
the  Caliph,  laden  with  valuable  gifts  for  the  Holy  Sepulchre  ; 
but  the  magnanimous  eastern  ruler  not  only  sent  back  the 
envoy  with  great  honour  to  Aix  la  Chapelle,  but  bade  him 
assure  his  master  that,  out  of  favour  to  the  religion  of  the 
western  monarch,  Haroun  would  entrust  him  with  the  entire 
supervision  and  control  of  a  place  on  which  the  Christians 
set  such  value,  and  which  was  invested  with  sucli  an  odour  of 
sanctity.  Acknowledged  now  as  the  possessor  of  the  Holy 
Sepulchre,  Charles  sent  rich  gifts  to  Jerusalem,  to  be  spent 
in  erecting  churches,  entertaining  pilgrims,  and  supporting 
the  poor.  His  example  was  followed  by  the  next  Carlovingian 
kings,  Louis  the  Pious  and  Louis  the  German.  The  Church 
of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  became  a  model  for  many  in  Ger¬ 
many,  which  were  built  under  the  patronage  of  the  emperors, 
particularly  those  of  Cologne,  Fulda,  and  St  Gall,  and  among 
these,  the  last  most  of  all.  Its  influence  is  also  traceable  in 
many  others,  among  them  the  Cathedrals  of  Spires,  Worms, 
Mayence,  the  Sebaldus  Church  in  Nuremberg,  and  in  general, 
in  those  which  were  built  between  the  eighth  and  the  thir¬ 
teenth  centuries.  It  was  felt  also  in  the  baptisteries,  and  in 
other  internal  arrangements.  William  of  Tyre  describes  the 

1  Williams,  Entrance  to  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre ,  vol.  ii. 
p.  120.  See  Tobler,  Golgotha ,  PI.  i.  and  ii.  Comp.  Williams,  Holy  City , 
ii.  pp.  129-294 ;  Willis’  Essay  on  the  Architectural  History  of  the  Holy 
Sepulchre. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  390 ;  Krafft,  Topog.  pp.  250-252. 

8  Eginhardi  Vita ,  ed.  I.;  L.  Ideler,  p.  72. 


142 


PALESTINE. 


Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  precisely  as  Arculfus  does  at 
the  end  of  the  seventh  century  :  a  rotunda  with  an  open  roof 
over  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  a  chapel  over  Golgotha  and  the 
place  where  the  cross  was  found.  These  were  all  brought 
together  at  the  time  of  the  Crusades  by  means  of  a  great  nave, 
thus  giving  to  the  church  the  form  which  it  has  retained  up 
to  the  present  time.1 


DISCUSSION  VI. 

THE  WATER  RESERVOIRS  AND  BURIAL-PLACES  IN  AND  AROUND  JERUSALEM. 

Among  the  peculiarities  which  distinguish  the  neighbour¬ 
hood  of  Jerusalem,  and  which  depend  in  a  measure  upon 
the  broad  mass  of  limestone  which  underlies  it,  are  to  be 
reckoned,  whether  regarded  in  a  topographical  or  historical 
light,  the  reservoirs  and  burial-places  of  the  city.  They 
serve  as  guides  in  antiquarian  research,  and  date  back,  it 
seems  probable,  to  the  age  of  Solomon.2  They  would,  how¬ 
ever,  be  far  more  valuable  to  us  as  data,  did  we  know  the 
history  of  their  origin  and  primary  use,  which,  in  consequence 
of  the  names  and  the  legends  which  have  been  applied  to 
them,  often  comes  to  us  in  untrustworthy  form. 

1.  The  Cisterns ,  Pools ,  Water  Reservoirs ,  and  Fountains  in  and 
around  Jerusalem.  Rogel,  Siloah ,  and  the  Spring  of  Mary. 

To  what  was  said  in  the  pages  regarding  the  wells  of  the 
city,  there  remains  something  to  be  added  under  this  head. 
In  consequence  of  the  dryness  and  the  very  great  want  of 
water  in  the  entire  neighbourhood  of  Jerusalem  (there  being 
but  three  springs  in  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  besides  the 
few  wells  which  seem  to  be  alluded  to  by  Jer.  ii.  13  as 
holding  no  water),  the  abundant  supply  which  seems  to  have 
been  always  in  the  city  (for  we  have  no  record  of  its  ever 
giving  out)  is  something  quite  peculiar  to  Jerusalem.  Strabo 
even  characterized  Jerusalem  in  these  brief  terms :  rjv  yap 

1  Krafft,  Topocjr.  p.  254. 

2  Ewald,  Ges.  des  Volks  Israel ,  iii.  pp.  61-69. 


THE  SPRINGS  OF  JERUSALEM. 


143 


II erpojSes,  scil.  Hierosolyma,  Kal  evepfces  epv/xa,  ivTos  pbev 
evvSpov ,  e/cro?  Se  7 rayreXw?  Sttyrjpov,  k.t.X.  A  subterranean 
Hierosolyma  would  disclose  many  thousands  of  cisterns,1 
generally  very  ancient,  of  which  every  house  has  one,  several 
more  than  one,  and  some  a  large  number.  To  these  must  be 
added  the  many  covered  fish  pools,  and  the  inexhaustible 
supplies  beneath  the  Haram.  All  these  must  have  received 
their  supplies  from  the  rain  falling  upon  the  roofs  and  the 
terraced  sides  of  the  city,  or  have  been  conducted  from 
distant  springs  by  means  of  aqueducts,  in  some  cases  running 
beneath  the  ground,  or  have  been  fed  from  springs  which  lie 
far  beneath  the  surface,  and  whose  existence  is  now  unknown 
to  us.  These  cisterns  are  of  great  antiquity,  for  we  have  no 
account  of  the  construction  of  new  water-works  in  modern 
times. 

The  largest  cistern  of  all,  to  which  fifty-two  steps  lead 
down,  in  the  so-called  Treasury  Building  or  Hospital  of 
Helena  (the  Akbet  el  Tekiyeh  el  Sahahira  of  Gadow),  has 
been  already  referred  to.  Northward  from  it,  in  one  of  the 
streets  near  to  the  Damascus  gate,  Gadow  speaks  of  a  broad 
cistern  in  the  garden  of  an  English  proselyte,  which,  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  owner’s  statement,  is  never  destitute  of  water,  and 
whose  narrow  outlet  cannot  be  climbed  up  to  without  danger. 
It  contains  also,  besides  the  water,  an  old  church,  and  the 
studio  of  a  fresco  painter.  According  to  a  Jewish  tradition, 
the  palace  of  Queen  Helena  of  Adiabene  once  occupied  the 
site.  I  have  already  spoken  of  the  great  cistern  before  the 
Damascus  gate  at  the  cave  of  Jeremiah.  The  same  are  to 
be  found  among  all  the  great  buildings,  especially  the 
numerous  convents.  The  Latin  Convent,  says  Scholtz,2  can 
in  a  time  of  dryness  supply  all  the  Christian  inhabitants 
of  Jerusalem  for  a  whole  half-year  out  of  its  twenty-eight 
cisterns. 

Of  these  concealed  reservoirs,  as  well  as  of  those  connected 
with  the  baths  on  the  west  side  of  the  Haram,  I  have  already 

1  Kobinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  301  et  scp,  323  etsq.  ;  Krafft,  Topogr. 
pp.  183-190. 

2  Scholtz,  Reise  in  Pal.  p.  197. 


144 


PALESTINE. 


spoken  fully  enough.  Of  the  pools  which  are  exposed  to 
view  on  the  north  side  of  the  city,  I  have  mentioned  the 
Birket  el  Hijeh,  i.e.  the  Pilgrims’  Pool,  the  Birket  Hammam 
Sitti  Marjam,  generally  dry,1  and  the  Birket  Israin,  the  last 
of  which,  lying  within  the  city,  has  been  universally  called  by 
pilgrims,  but  without  sufficient  reason,  the  Pool  of  Bethesda. 
In  1842,  a  part  of  it  was  filled  up  with  earth  dug  up  dur¬ 
ing  the  excavations  around  the  Church  of  St  Ann,  in  the 
course  of  which  operations  some  halls  came  to  light  which 
had  before  been  concealed.  This  little  church  lies  north 
of  Bethesda,  beyond  the  grotto  which  is  reputed  to  have  been 
the  birth-place  of  Mary.  It  dates  back  to  the  times  of  the 
Crusades,  at  which  period  a  small  nunnery  was  established  at 
this  point  by  King  Baldwin  I.  Sultan  Saladin  afterwards 
converted  it  into  a  school  for  the  sect  of  Shafites. 

Robinson  discovered,  however,  that  there  is  no  ground  for 
believing  that  this  evident  relic  of  the  fosse  of  the  Antonia, 
often  destitute  of  water  as  it  is,  is  to  be  considered  the  five- 
porched  pool  of  Bethesda  of  the  Evangelists  at  the  sheep 
gate  (John  v.  2-9),  since  it  has  received  this  name  in  the 
later  legends,  because  the  Gate  of  Stephen  was  held  to  be 
the  sheep  gate  of  Neh.  iii.  1.  The  pool  of  Bethesda — a 
Chaldaic  word,  meaning  house  of  pity — lay  farther  to  the 
north  of  the  Church  of  St  Ann,  but  has  been  wholly  filled 
up.  The  Birket  Israin  had  no  water  in  it  as  early  as  the 
beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century,  and  is  at  the  present 
day  covered  with  rubbish,  and  overgrown  with  weeds  and 
bushes.  Its  depth  is  about  eighty  feet,  its  breadth  a  hundred 
and  thirty,  and  its  length  from  east  to  west  three  hundred 
and  fifty-five.2 

I  have  already  spoken  of  the  pool  on  the  west  side  of  the 
city,  which  has  been  called  the  pool  of  Bathsheba,  but  which 
has  now  entirely  disappeared.  So,  too,  of  the  Patriarchs’ 
pools,  or  the  so-called  pools  of  Hezekiali.  So,  also,  of  the 
Dragon’s  well,  to  which  Nehemiah  alludes  as  being  outside 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  232  ;  Krafft,  Topogr.  p.  184 ;  Schultz, 
Jerusalem ,  p.  32. 

3  Roberta,  The  Holy  Land,  Book,  ii. :  Pool  of  Bethesda. 


THE  SPRINGS  OF  JERUSALEM. 


145 


tlie  wall  (ii.  13),  hut  which  is  not  named  elsewhere.  According 
to  Robinson,  Ewald,  and  others,  it  is  only  to  be  sought  in 
the  Gihon  valley,  on  the  west  side  of  the  city,  where  we 
have  already  become  acquainted  with  the  upper  and  lower 
Gihon  pools,1  or  more  correctly,  the  Mamilla  and  the  Sultan’s 
pools.  The  three  springs  of  Jerusalem  to  which  allusion  has 
been  made,  lie  all  outside  the  city  in  the  lower  valley  of 
Jehoshaphat.  They  are  Rogel,  Siloah,  and  the  spring  of  Mary. 

The  well  of  Rogel,2  i.e.  of  the  Messengers,  called  also  the 
well  of  Nehemiah  and  of  Job,  belongs  to  the  oldest  known 
localities  of  the  land.  Ewald  says  that  the  name  is  of 
Canaanitic  origin.3  It  is  a  deep  well,  at  the  top  of  the 
junction  of  the  valleys  of  Hinnom  and  Jehoshaphat.  Robin¬ 
son  has  given  the  most  accurate  description  of  it.  He  found 
it  irregular,  four-sided,  walled  in  with  great  square  stones, 
forming  an  arch  on  one  side,  and  having  the  appearance  of 
great  antiquity.  The  depth  he  ascertained  to  be  a  hundred 
and  twenty-five  feet,  there  being  fifty  feet  of  water  in  it. 
This  is  sweet  and  wholesome,  but  not  cold.  Forty  feet  below 
the  top  there  is  an  outlet ;  but  during  the  rainy  season  the 
well  overflows,  and  for  sixty  or  seventy  days  during  the 
winter  these  superfluous  waters  form  a  brook  of  considerable 
size.  Schultz4  thinks,  however,  with  considerable  probability, 
that  the  well  itself  does  not  overflow,  but  that  its  waters 
break  out  in  its  neighbourhood  in  the  form  of  common  springs, 
one  of  them  farther  south  on  the  east  side  of  the  valley,  the 
second  one  still  farther  south,  and  nearer  the  western  wall. 
These  neighbouring  springs  Schultz  does  not  consider  de¬ 
pendent  upon,  but  independent  of,  Rogel ;  the  more  easterly 
one  he  terms  the  Almond  Spring.  Rogel  seems  to  have 
suffered  alterations  at  Mohammedan  hands.  Gadow  observes, 
that  close  by  this  well  is  an  old  pool  thirty  feet  square,  above 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  347 ;  Christian  in  Palestine ,  p.  147, 
Plate  xlvii.,  and  p.  170,  Plate  Ixi. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  331  et  sq.  ;  Roberts,  The  Holy  Land , 
Book  iv.,  Fountain  of  Job. 

3  Ewald,  Gesch.  des  Volks  Israel ,  Pt.  iii.  p.  64. 

4  Scbultz,  Jerusalem ,  p.  40  ;  Sckoltz,  Reise,  p.  136. 

VOL.  IV. 


K 


0 


i 


146  PALESTINE. 

whose  eastern  wall  there  is  built  an  arched  room  with  niches. 
Round  it  there  are  drinking  troughs  protected  with  iron  fences. 
On  the  6th  of  March,  Gadow  found  the  top  of  the  water 
sixty-four  feet  below  the  ground  in  the  valley.  Wilson 
asserts  that  the  taste  of  the  water  is  different  from  that  in  the 
Siloah  spring,  and  suspects  that  Rogel  receives  its  waters 
from  the  Kidron,  the  river  filtering  through  the  rock.1 

It  surprised  Robinson  that  Rogel  was  mentioned  by  none 
of  the  earlier  historians.  Jac.  de  Yitriaco  is  unacquainted 
with  it  at  the  time  of  the  Crusades,  for  he  only  mentions 
Siloah  ;  yet  Wilken  cites  Hugo  Plagon,  who  wrote  in  1184, 
and  who  speaks  of  discovering  and  clearing  out  an  old  well 
or  fountain  below  Siloam,  which  yielded  water  profusely. 
This  could  have  been  no  other  than  Ro^el. 

O 

Robinson  was  unable  to  find  a  satisfactory  explanation  of 
the  name  J ob’s  well,2  Bir  Eyub,  so  common  among  the  Arabs, 
although  it  was  used  by  Mejr  ed  Din.  It  is  employed,  how¬ 
ever,  in  the  Arab  translation  of  Joshua,  dating  from  the 
middle  of  the  tenth  century,  instead  of  the  Hebrew  name. 
But  Gadow  finds  an  explanation  in  the  fact  that  the  name 
Joab  does  not  occur  in  the  Koran,  although  the  name  Job 
or  Eyub  is  one  of  great  prominence  in  it.  In  the  Jewish 
itineraries  it  is  named  the  well  of  Joab,  after  one  of  the 
foremost  of  Adonijah’s  coadjutors.  Krafft,  too,  concurs  in 
the  supposition  that  the  name  has  crept  in  in  consequence 
of  the  resemblance  of  Joab  and  Job  ;  for  at  the  time  wdien 
David  was  in  his  last  days,  when  his  rebellious  son  Adonijah 
wished  to  make  himself  king,  and  to  supplant  his  brother 
Solomon,  and  was  celebrating  the  royal  festivities  incumbent 
on  a  newly  made  king,  with  Joab  as  one  of  his  chief  guests, 
wre  read  in  1  Kings  i.  9,  41,  that  the  wTell  of  Rogel  was  the 
place  selected  for  the  feasting.  Down  to  that  deep  valley  the 
sound  of  the  people’s  shouting  came,  as,  in  obedience  to  the 
injunctions  of  David,  Solomon  wTas  anointed  king.  The  rock 
Zoheleth,  spoken  of  in  direct  connection  with  Rogel,  may 

1  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible,  1.  p.  497. 

2  Krafft,  Topogr.  pp.  94-96,  188 ;  comp.  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible , 
as  cited  above. 


THE  SPRINGS  OF  JERUSALEM. 


147 


still  be  seen  in  a  projecting  mass,  a  little  above  the  wall,  and 
on  the  north-east  corner  of  the  Mountain  of  Evil  Counsel. 
It  flings  its  shadow  gratefully  over  the  little  plain  which  is 
found  at  the  junction  of  the  two  valleys,  the  fairest  and  the 
most  fertile  spot  around  Jerusalem,  the  place  of  general  resort 
for  the  people  of  the  city.  It  bears  the  local  name  Wadi  el 
Rubab.1 

The  other  name  given  to  the  well,  that  of  the  Messengers, 
may  be  traced  to  an  incident  connected  with  the  history 
of  Absalom’s  rebellion,  recounted  in  2  Sam.  xvii.  17.  We 
are  told  that  the  sons  of  Zadok  the  priest  were  concealed 
there,  in  order  to  prevent  being  followed.  The  name  Nehe- 
miah’s  Well  has  only  been  given  since  the  time  of  Quares- 
mius,  at  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century,  and  seems  to  arise 
from  a  story,  that  he  preserved  the  sacred  fire  in  the  well 
during  the  time  of  the  exile,  and  on  the  return  of  the 
Israelites  removed  it  from  its  hiding-place,  and  restored  it  to 
the  temple. 

The  name  Rogel  occurs  as  early  as  the  time  of  Joshua, 
that  is,  directly  after  the  driving  out  of  the  Canaanite  tribes, 
as  one  of  the  boundary  points  of  Judah  (Josh.  xv.  8)  and 
Benjamin  (Josh,  xviii.  16).  From  these  citations  it  appears 
that  Jebus  then  lay  entirely  within  the  territory  of  Benjamin. 
The  boundary  of  the  latter  tribe  began  at  the  north-western 
corner  of  the  Dead  Sea,  went  westward  through  the  moun¬ 
tain  country  as  far  as  to  en-Shemesh,  i.e.  the  Spring  of  the 
Sun,  probably  the  present  Fountain  of  the  Apostles,  below 
Bethany,  on  the  way  to  Jericho.2  From  there  it  ran  to  the 
well  en-Rogel,  and  to  the  Valley  of  Flinnom,  on  the  south 
side  of  Jerusalem :  from  that  point  to  the  highest  part  of  the 
mountain  tract,  past  the  northern  extremity  of  the  Valley 
of  the  Rephaim  or  Giants.  Thence  it  ran  to  the  waters  of 
Nephtoah,  possibly  the  Yalo  spring,  in  the  Wadi  el  Werd. 
This  statement,  remarks  Robinson,  agrees  in  the  most  exact 
manner  with  the  present  position  of  Rogel ;  but  should  we 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  331  ;  Schultz,  Jerusalem ,  p.  79. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  333  ;  Keil,  Comment,  zu  Josua ,  p.  282, 
Note  1,  p.  283. 


148 


PALESTINE . 


take,  with  him,  not  the  Apostles’  Spring  as  en-Shemesh,  but 
one  near  the  St  Saba  Convent,  which  Iveil,  however,  considers 
too  far  south-eastward,  the  boundary  would  run  along  the 
lower  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat  to  Eogel.  Josephus,  in  his 
account  of  the  rebellion  of  Adonijah,  gives  the  precise  locality 
of  the  place  where  the  feasting  took  place,  remarking  that  it 
was  without  the  city,  near  the  spring,  in  the  royal  garden. 

The  height  of  the  water  in  this  Nehemiah  well  gives  a 
measure  for  wet  and  dry  years  in  Palestine.1  In  1814,  1815, 
1817,  1818,  and  1819,  the  water  overran  the  top  three  times; 
in  1821,  twice;  in  1815  and  1821,  the  overflow  was  exceed¬ 
ingly  profuse,  and  great  fertility  was  the  result.  In  1816 
and  1820  no  perceptible  rise  in  the  water  was  noticed  :  that 
in  the  cisterns  was  speedily  exhausted  :  a  general  scarcity  of 
food  was  the  result,  and  attendant  sicknesses. 

The  fountain  of  Siloah — Siloam  in  the  New  Testament — 
i.e.  the  Sent,2  is  of  much  more  account  with  Christians  than  it 
was  held  in  the  remote  history  of  Jerusalem.  It  is  mentioned 
but  three  times  in  the  Scriptures.  Isaiah  speaks  of  the  waters 
of  Siloah,  which  “  go  softly,”  in  contrast  to  the  wild  rushing 
tide  of  the  Euphrates  (viii.  6,  7).  Plis  meaning  is,  that  the 
Lord  in  His  time  will  avenge  the  scorn  which  the  northern 
kings  of  Israel  displayed  towards  His  pious  kings  of  Judah, 
by  summoning  the  hosts  of  Assyria,  and  will  overthrow  the 
united  hosts.  Again,  allusion  is  made  to  Siloah  in  Neh.  iii. 
15,  who  speaks  of  the  rebuilding  of  the  gate  of  the  fountain 
by  the  hands  of  Shall  am  :  u  He  built  it,  and  covered  it,  and 
set  up  the  doors  thereof,  the  locks  thereof,  and  the  bars  thereof, 
and  the  wall  of  the  pool  of  Siloah  by  the  king’s  garden,  and 
unto  the  stairs  that  go  down  from  the  city  of  David.” 

The  third  allusion  is  in  John’s  Gospel  (ix.  7),  where 
Jesus  says  to  the  man  who  was  born  blind,  11  Go  to  the  pool 
of  Siloam,  and  wash.  And  he  went  and  washed,  and  came 
seeing.”  As  there  was  in  ancient  times,  as  well  as  now,  a 
spring  and  a  pool  of  the  same  name,  there  arose  in  the  later 

1  Sckoltz,  Reise ,  p.  138. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  p.  834  et  sq.  ;  Gesenius,  Comment,  zu 
Isaias,  pp.  331,  332. 


THE  SPRINGS  OF  JERUSALEM. 


149 


writers’  allusions  to  the  place  a  great  deal  of  ambiguity. 
There  was  also  a  tower  of  Siloam  mentioned  in  Luke  xiii.  4, 
probably  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  waters  of  the  same 
name,  and  on  one  of  the  steep  banks  of  rock  near  by.  Its 
fall  occasioned,  as  we  learn  from  the  words  of  the  Saviour, 
the  death  of  eighteen  men.  The  passages  cited,  taken  in 
connection  with  those  in  which  Josephus  alludes  to  Siloah, 
leave  no  doubt  that  the  place  corresponds  with  the  Sehvan 
of  the  Arabs  of  the  present  day,  and  which  is  located  at  the 
south-eastern  extremity  of  the  Tyropoeon.  Its  sweet  water 
flows  no  less  abundantly  than  it  did  in  ancient  times.  As  early 
as  333,  we  have  an  allusion  in  the  Itinerar.  Burdig.  to  a  pool 
of  Siloah  with  four  porches,  and  to  another  great  pool,  also 
beyond  the  city  wall  (juxta  murum  est  piscina,  quse  dicitur 
Siloah,  liabet  quadriporticum,  et  alia  piscina  grandis  foras).1 
But  the  same  pilgrim  also  mentions  a  spring  which  runs  for 
six  days  and  six  nights,  but  which  rests  on  the  Sabbath, 
running  neither  day  nor  night;  whence  Pliny,  II.  N.  xxxi.  18 : 
In  Judaea  rivus  sabbatis  omnibus  siccatur.  Jerome  says  with 
more  exactness,  in  his  commentary  on  Isa.  viii.  6  :  The  spring 
of  Siloah  lies  at  the  base  of  Mount  Zion :  its  waters  do  not 
flow  regularly,  but  only  at  certain  days  and  hours ;  and  wdien 
they  do,  it  is  with  a  great  rushing  from  holes  and  pits  in  the 
solid  rock.  In  his  commentary  on  Matt.  x.  28,  where  he 
speaks  of  Gehenna,  he  says  the  idol  Baal  was  set  up  at  Siloah, 
near  to  Jerusalem,  and  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Moriah.  At 
the  end  of  the  sixth  century,  Antoninus  Martyr,2  in  speaking 
of  the  Siloah  spring,  which  had  been  shut  out  from  the  city 
since  Justinian  erected  his  church,  alludes  to  the  great  fish 
pools  in  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  in  which  men,  women, 
and  lepers  bathed  daily,  so  far  as  the  changes  in  the  water 
allowed.  From  this  it  appears  plain  why  allusion  was  made 
in  the  Gesta  Dei ,  i.  fol.  573,  to  a  natatoria  Siloe,  although 
William  of  Tyre  calls  it  an  intermittent  spring.  This  nata¬ 
toria  Siloe  was  said  by  the  Lector  of  Ulm3  to  be  at  his  time  a 

1  Itin.  Antonin,  ed.  Partliey,  p.  279. 

2  Itin.  Anton.  Martyr,  p.  19. 

8  Fabri,  Evagator.  ii.  fol.  417. 


150 


PALESTINE. 


dry  spot,  lying  between  walls  formerly  forming  a  reservoir,  but 
in  bis  day  turned  into  a  vegetable  garden,  by  the  side  of  which 
flowed  the  water  of  the  Siloah  spring.  Robinson  observes, 
that  all  the  earlier  historical  notices  up  to  Marin  Sanutus 
(1321)  relate  merely  to  this  one  well,  or  its  pools,  in  the  Tvro- 
poeon,  but  that  not  one  alludes  to  the  spring  of  the  Virgin 
Mary,  lying  farther  north,  in  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  and 
with  which  the  Siloah  spring  is  connected.  The  pilgrims 
Tuchern  and  Fabri  (1479)  are  the  first  to  carefully  discrimi¬ 
nate  between  the  two  springs,  at  the  same  time  without  being 
aware  of  their  connection.  Fabri  relates,  that  he  with  his 
companions  was  compelled  to  reach  the  waters  of  Siloam  by 
working  his  way  through  a  narrow  cleft.1  Fie  says,  moreover, 
that  in  some  weeks  the  water  ran  only  for  three  or  four  days, 
sometimes  ceased  entirely,  and  sometimes  poured  forth  its 
supplies  very  abundantly.  Sometimes  he  found  the  opening 
in  the  rock  entirely  dry,  particularly  during  his  visits  in  the 
cool  of  the  morning  to  this  wonderful  fountain,  which  he 
thinks  identical  with  the  wraters  of  Gihon,  which  were  covered 
over  in  the  time  of  Hezekiah.  It  was  not  till  the  first  half  of 
the  eighteenth  century  that  the  false  hypothesis  arose,2  that 
the  Fountain  of  Mary  is  the  true  spring  of  Siloam,  and  the 
southern  spring  only  the  pool  of  the  same  name. 

Robinson  ascertained  the  distance  of  the  Siloah  spring 
from  the  eastern  corner  of  Ophel  to  be  two  hundred  and 
fifty-five  feet,  the  depth  of  the  water  reservoir  nineteen  feet, 
the  length  fifty-three,  the  breadth  eighteen.  The  western 
end  is  fallen  into  decay ;  several  columns  stand  in  the  walls, — 
once  supporting  the  roof  of  a  chapel  it  may  be,  or,  as  Bartlett 
thinks,  porches.  At  Robinson’s  visit  the  cistern  in  front  of 
the  entrance  to  the  spring  was  dry :  the  stream  from  the 
well  merely  ran  through  it  on  its  way  to  the  garden.  The 
smaller  basin  or  mouth  of  the  spring  is  a  hollow  excavated  in 
the  massive  rock,  in  order  to  hold  the  water.  Steps  lead 
down  on  the  inside  to  the  water  beneath  the  arch  of  natural 

1  F.  Fabri,  ii.  p.  489. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  334  ;  Bartlett,  Walks,  etc.,  p.  67, 
Tab.  iv.,  p.  146,  Tab.  xliv. 


THE  SPRINGS  OF  JERUSALEM. 


151 


stone.  Close  by,  on  the  outside,  is  the  reservoir,  to  which 
the  water  finds  its  way  beneath  the  steps.  This  basin,  only 
five  or  six  feet  wride,  forms  merely  the  end  of  the  long  and 
narrow  subterranean  passage,  through  which  the  water  comes 
from  the  Spring  of  Mary,  farther  north.  In  the  neighbour¬ 
hood  are  several  traces  of  more  ancient  cisterns. 

Gadow1  distinguishes  here  three  separate  water  basins, 
which  are  entered  on  his  map,  as  well  as  on  that  of  Ivrafft, 
slightly  different  from  Robinson’s,  while  in  that  drawn  by 
the  English  surveyors  they  are  entirely  passed  over.  There 
is  the  Ain  Silwan,  the  reservoir  described  by  Robinson,  with 
a  small  pool  lying  before  it  twenty-three  paces  in  length,  ten 
in  breadth,  and  only  fifteen  feet  in  depth.  Steps  descend 
into  it  at  the  north-west  corner,  and  on  the  bottom  may  be 
seen  fragments  three  or  four  feet  high  of  four  shattered 
columns.  Farther  southward,  sixty  paces  away,  there  is  a 
solitary  pool,  now  in  a  garden  where  olive  and  fig  trees  grow : 
this  is  probably  the  natatoria  Siloe.  About  double  the  distance 
from  this,  and  to  the  south-east,  there  is  a  drinking  fountain 
very  much  used,  which  receives  its  waters  through  a  canal  a 
hundred  and  twenty  feet  in  length,  running  from  the  Ain 
Silwan.  It  lies  directly  above  the  royal  garden,  and  at  the 
confluence  of  the  three  valleys.  On  the  north  side  of  this 
drinking  fountain  there  are  traces  of  the  cement  used  in  the 
construction  of  cisterns.  Thirty  paces  from  the  termination  of 
the  watercourse  leading  to  the  drinking  fountain,  there  is  an 
old  wall  twenty  feet  high,  and  running  from  north  to  south  ; 
between  it  and  the  drinking  fountain  there  is  an  opening 
leading  to  a  deep  arch,  whose  cover  is  thin,  and  more  recent 
than  the  structure  which  it  covers.  There  seems  to  have 
been,  according  to  the  remains  now  existing,  a  reservoir  about 
fifty  feet  square  and  twenty  feet  deep,  once  open,  but  after¬ 
wards  covered,  so  as  to  save  room.  It  appears  to  have  been 
much  deeper  than  the  two  farther  north,  which  were  fed 
from  Ain  Silwan.  The  Mohammedans  lay  great  value  upon 
the  well  of  Siloah,  and  Mejr  ed  Din  calls  it  and  the  well 
Zemzem  the  two  fountains  of  paradise. 

1  Comp.  Krafft,  Topog.  pp.  127,  174,  187. 


152 


PALESTINE. 


The  Spring  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  Ain  Sitti  Mariam,1  also 
called  the  well  of  Siloam,  in  contradistinction  to  the  one 
farther  south,  known  as  the  pool  of  Siloam.  It  lies  only 
1100  feet  from  the  point  of  rock  at  the  southern  extremity 
of  the  Tyropoeon,  and  owes  to  the  investigations  of  Robinson 
the  great  interest  felt  in  it,  as  possibly  belonging  to  the  very 
oldest  sources  of  water  supply  in  the  city.  It  appears  to  be 
alluded  to  for  the  first  time2  in  the  fourteenth  century;  for 
Fabri3  described  it,  in  1479,  in  his  chapter  headed  de  Fonte 
Maries  Virginis.  He  discovered  it  before  reaching  the  more 
southern  spring  of  Siloam,  and  carefully  discriminates  between 
the  two.  Later  writers  fell  into  the  habit  of  confounding 
the  well  of  Mary  with  Siloah,  and  the  name  of  Upper  Siloali 
became  current.  Quaresmius  (1639)  cites  the  legend  that 
Mary  washed  the  swaddling-clothes  of  the  child  Jesus  in  its 
waters,  thus  giving  pilgrims  an  excuse  for  paying  their  homage 
to  it;  but  Fabri  quotes  still  another  legend,  namely,  that  this 
retired  spot  served  as  a  place  for  Mary  to  hide  herself  as  she 
was  fleeing  with  her  babe  from  Herod,  and  sought  to  pass 
up  the  Kedron  valley  to  the  eastern  gate,  the  Golden  Gate, 
in  order  to  consecrate  him  to  the  Lord,  in  accordance  with 
the  laws  and  customs  of  the  Jews  (Luke  ii.  22). 

Robinson,4  who  considers  it  improbable  that  the  old  east 
wall  of  the  city  should  have  excluded  the  only  two  living 
springs  with  which  the  city  is  supplied,  and  that  they  should 
thus  have  been  allowed  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  enemies,  gives 
them  a  place  within  the  wall,  and  holds,  not  in  contradiction 
to  Josephus,  whose  language  on  the  subject  is  obscure,  but  in 
harmony  with  Nehemiah  (ii.  14  and  iii.  15),  that  the  basin  was 
the  former  King’s  pool,  known  also  as  the  pool  of  Solomon ; 
or,  at  any  rate,  that  the  water  from  it  was  used  to  supply  these 
wells,  in  case  they  were  subterranean,  and  within  the  walls. 
He  has  also  completely  convinced  himself  that  the  well  of 
Mary  is  of  great  antiquity ;  that,  at  all  events,  it  must  be  older 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  232,  333  et  sq. 

2  Krafft,  Topogr.  p.  187. 

3  Fel.  Fabri,  Evagator.  i.  pp.  415-417. 

4  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  311,  340. 


THE  SPRINGS  OF  JERUSALEM. 


153 


than  Siloah,  since  it  sends  its  waters  to  it.  I  cannot  pass 
by  a  remark  of  Schultz,1  which  seems,  however,  to  have  called 
no  subsequent  attention  to  the  fact  which  he  mentions.  He 
says  that  the  vault  which  encloses  the  well  of  Mary  is  very 
ancient,  composed  of  very  large  stones  (their  size  appears  in 
Roberts’  sketches),  and  bearing  faint  and  illegible  traces  of 
an  inscription.  It  would  repay  the  efforts  of  some  future 
observer,  to  see  if  something  cannot  be  made  of  this  inscrip¬ 
tion,  at  least  to  discover  in  what  language  it  is  written.  All 
this,  taken  together,  favours  the  view  held  very  early,  and 
accepted  by  Krafft,  that  this  spring,  although  its  origin  is 
unknown  to  us,  stood  in  connection  with  the  great  water¬ 
works  constructed  by  Hezekiah,  and  the  lower  outlet  of  the 
G  ihon,2  which,  as  Robinson  remarks,  may  have  received  its 
characteristic  name  Siloah,  the  Sent  ( missio  aquce),  from  this 
fact.  The  subterranean  communication  would,  according  to 
that  view,  date  back  to  the  time  of  Solomon,  and  would  owe 
its  completion  only  to  the  labours  of  Hezekiah.  Robinson’s 
bold  discovery,  confirmed  by  the  later  researches  of  Tobler, 
has  proved  that  the  water  of  Siloah  is  derived  from  that  of 
Mary’s  spring ;  but  to  ascertain  whence  the  waters  of  the 
latter  are  derived,  must  be  left  to  the  efforts  of  future  in¬ 
quirers. 

The  water  chamber3  of  the  well  of  Mary  lies  very  low : 
the  outflowing  stream  follows  the  western  wall  of  the  Valley 
of  Jehosliaphat.  The  chamber  is  cut  in  the  solid  rock.  It 
is  reached  by  going  down  a  flight  of  sixteen  steps  :  then  comes 
a  level  spot  of  twelve  feet  extent,  and  then  a  second  flight  of 
ten  steps.  These  steps  are  each  about  ten  inches  high,  and 
they  give  a  depth  of  not  far  from  twenty  feet  below  the  sur¬ 
face  of  the  ground.  The  water  chamber  itself,  called  by  the 
Arabs  Ain  um  ed  Deraj,  i.e.  the  Mother  of  the  Steps,  is  some 
fifteen  feet  long,  five  or  six  feet  broad,  and  six  or  eight  feet 
deep.  The  bottom  is  strewn  with  small  stones.  The  water 

1  Schultz,  Reise ,  p.  171. 

2  Krafft,  Topngr.  pp.  127,  174, 178. 

3  Bartlett,  Walks ,  e/c.,  p.  112  ;  Christian  in  Palestine ,  p.  4G  ;  Roberts, 
The  Holy  Land ,  Book  iii. ,  Upper  Basin  of  Siloah. 


154 


PALESTINE. 


runs  from  it  through  a  low  artificial  channel  cut  in  the  solid 
rock,  and  does  not  make  its  appearance  till  it  reaches  the 
Siloah  spring.  At  present  there  is  no  other  outlet  but  this, 
and  according  to  all  appearances,  says  Robinson,  there  never 
was  any  other.  This  fact,  that  there  is  a  southern  outlet, 
seems  to  indicate  that  there  is  an  undiscovered  subterranean 
channel  leading  to  the  Mary  spring  from  the  north. 

This  aqueduct  cut  in  the  solid  rock,  which  conducts  the 
water  beneath  the  walls  of  Ophel  to  the  spring  of  Siloah,1  is 
alluded  to  in  1620  by  Quaresmius,  in  terms  which  indicate 
that  he  was  familiarly  acquainted  with  its  existence.  There 
were  some  attempts  made  to  trace  its  course,  but  they  remained 
fruitless  down  to  Robinson’s  time.  People  spoke  as  though 
there  were  no  doubt  that  the  two  were  connected,  but  there 
was  no  proof. 

On  the  27th  of  April,  the  water  being  very  low,  Robin¬ 
son2  and  Eli  Smith  found  not  a  soul  at  Mary’s  well,  which 
was  generally  so  thronged  with  people  coming  from  the  city 
to  fill  their  bottles.  They  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity, 
and  went  down  barefooted,  with  lights  and  measuring  tape, 
in  order  to  explore  the  well  and  its  outlet.  The  water  was 
nowhere  more  than  the  depth  of  a  man’s  foot,  and  flowed 
away  very  gently :  the  bottom  was  covered  with  sand.  They 
entered  the  outlet.  It  was  generally  two  feet  in  breadth,  and 
was  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock.  The  main  direction  was  from 
n.n.e.  to  S.S.W.,  but  there  were  repeated  curves :  for  no  long 
distance  did  it  follow  a  straight  line.  For  the  first  hundred 
feet  it  seemed  to  be  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  high,  the  next 
hundred  from  six  to  ten,  then  only  four,  and  became  constantly 
less  in  this  respect,  till,  after  traversing  a  distance  of  eight 
hundred  feet,  they  could  advance  no  farther  without  lying 
down  in  the  water.  This  they  were  not  dressed  for  attempt¬ 
ing  ;  and  the  two  bold  explorers,  after  blackening  their  names 
with  candles  upon  the  roof,  in  token  of  the  extent  of  their 
observations,  came  back  to  the  mouth,  hoping  to  make  a 
second  attempt  at  the  other  extremity,  at  the  Siloah  spring. 

This  trial  took  place  three  days’  later,  and  brought  the 
1  Kobinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  232.  2  Ibid.  i.  p.  239. 


THE  SPRINGS  OF  JERUSALEM. 


155 


enterprise  to  a  termination.  They  entered  the  subterranean 
canal  at  the  last-mentioned  spring,  but  found  it  impossible  to 
proceed  without  tearing  down  some  loose  stones  which  were 
on  the  point  of  falling.  The  passage  was  so  low  and  narrow, 
that  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  they  could  proceed. 
It  was  only  by  overcoming  formidable  obstacles  that  they 
could  get  on  at  all,  and  with  much  loss  of  time.  After 
meeting  many  windings  of  the  channel  from  side  to  side,  and 
passing  many  branches,  plainly  attesting  the  want  of  skill  of 
the  workmen,  who  were  unable  to  follow  the  shortest  course 
without  making  many  of  these  deviations,  they  reached,  to 
their  great  joy,  after  traversing  a  distance  of  nine  hundred 
and  fifty  feet,  the  marks  which  they  had  branded  three  days 
before,  and  solved  the  debated  problem.  The  whole  length 
of  the  passage  is  1750  English  feet,  a  hundred  longer  than 
the  straight  line  measured  above  ground ;  but  that  is  easily 
accounted  for  by  the  repeated  deviations  from  a  direct  course, 
occasioned  by  the  rude  skill  of  the  artisans  who  constructed 
the  work.  It  is  probable  that  they  began  at  both  ends  of  the 
mine,  and  it  must  have  been  a  task  of  great  difficulty  for 
workmen  so  primitive  to  meet  in  the  middle.  Robinson  and 
Smith  found  the  bottom  of  the  passage  very  slightly  inclining, 
giving  the  water  a  very  gentle  and  uniform  flow.  There 
was  nothing  of  that  rushing  mentioned  by  earlier  writers. 
It  is  not  at  all  probable  that  there  is  that  difference  in  the  taste 
of  the  water  from  the  two  wells  which  has  been  alluded  to 
by  some  of  the  older  pilgrims ;  and  the  intermittent  jetting 
up  of  the  waters,  about  which  so  many  fables  have  been  told, 
may  be  common  to  both.  That  there  is  a  regular  rise  and 
fall  of  the  water,  although  not  at  regular  intervals  of  three 
or  seven  days,  or  twenty-four  hours,  etc.,  Robinson  and  Tobler 
have  satisfactorily  proved.  The  former  found  the  rise  of  the 
water  in  Mary’s  spring  to  be  about  a  foot :  it  lasted  about 
ten  minutes,  and  covered  the  low  steps.  The  washerwomen 
there  told  him  that  there  is  a  similar  gushing  up  two  or  three 
times  daily  during  the  summer :  sometimes,  they  say,  the 
spring  is  entirely  dry,  and  then  suddenly  the  water  breaks 
out  among  the  rocks.  The  popular  method  of  explaining 


156 


PALESTINE. 


this  phenomenon  is,  that  there  is  a  great  dragon  in  the  well : 
it  runs  only  when  he  is  asleep,  and  when  he  is  awake  he  keeps 
the  water  all  to  himself.  An  Arab  told  Robinson  that  the  water 
comes  from  the  spring  under  the  great  mosque ;  but  whether 
conducted  by  an  artificial  passage  or  by  a  natural  channel,  is 
yet  unknown.  The  expression,  John  v.  2-7,  regarding  the 
pool  of  Bethesda,  into  which  an  angel  went  at  certain  times 
and  “troubled  the  waters,”  seems  to  imply  that  the  mere 
water  was  not  invested  with  any  healing  properties ;  for  the 
first  one  of  the  sick  lying  around  who  went  down  into  the 
pool  after  the  troubling  of  the  waters ,  was  made  perfectly 
whole.  This  expression  “troubling”  seemed  to  Robinson  to 
indicate  the  intermittent  flow  of  the  spring,  and  therefore  to 
correspond  well  with  the  New  Testament  description  of  the 
pool  of  Bethesda,  whose  position  had  been  placed  farther 
north  by  the  prevailing  legend. 

Tobler  visited  Mary’s  spring1  very  often  during  the 
winter  of  1845,  choosing  the  hours  of  early  morning  and  late 
evening  to  make  his  observations,  in  consequence  of  the  great 
number  of  persons  resorting  thither  in  the  day  time  to  pro¬ 
cure  water.  In  March  1846  he  succeeded  in  passing  through 
the  entire  length  of  the  rock  channel  from  Mary’s  spring  to 
Siloam,  and  the  results  which  he  attained  fully  substantiate 
the  conclusions  gained  by  Robinson.2  Even  the  measurements 
made  in  the  tunnel  are  substantially  the  same  in  length,  breadth, 
and  height.  Tobler  observed  a  number  of  brown  stripes 
along  the  sides  :  these  seemed  to  him  to  indicate  the  altitude 
reached  by  successive  floods  of  water.  He  suspected  at  one 
place  that  he  might  have  touched  the  opening  of  a  second 
channel  leading  to  the  Siloali  spring,  but  the  extinguishing 
of  his  light  while  in  the  very  middle  of  the  whole  course 
leads  to  the  belief  that  he  was  misled  in  this  by  one  of  those 
numerous  windings  to  which  Robinson  referred.  The  con- 

1  Tobler,  iiber  Siloah ,  in  Ausland ,  1848,  Nos.  52,  53,  pp.  205-211. 

2  Barclay,  the  American  missionary,  has  since  made  an  attempt  to 
follow  Robinson  and  Tobler  in  this  perilous  adventure.  His  success  was 
not  equal  to  theirs,  as  he  did  not  pass  through  the  entire  length  of  the 
canal. — Ed. 


THE  SPRINGS  OF  JERUSALEM. 


157 


struction  of  this  subterranean  mine  seemed  to  him  to  have 

been  effected  with  less  expense  and  pains  than  would  have 

been  undergone  if  it  had  been  made  in  the  form  of  an  open 

canal  between  the  two  springs,  not  to  speak  of  its  being  kept 

better  from  the  reach  of  an  enemv.  The  water  was  cooler 

«/ 

too  ;  it  was  brought  nearer  to  another  portion  of  the  popula¬ 
tion  of  the  city,  and  could  be  easily  collected  in  a  pool  below 
Siloam,  and  used  for  the  watering  of  the  gardens  and  the 
cultivated  valley.  But  happy  as  was  the  conception  of  carry¬ 
ing  out  the  plan  of  connecting  the  two  fountains,  the  work 
was  executed  nevertheless  in  so  rude  and  unskilful  a  manner, 
without  an  exact  grading,  without  a  straight  direction,  and 
with  a  repeated  loss  of  the  true  line,  that  its  construction  may 
with  great  probability  be  placed  before  the  time  of  Solomon, 
whose  architects  were  men  of  great  skill.  Tobler  remarked, 
as  did  Robinson,  the  changes  in  the  height  of  the  water,  and 
states  them  as  commonly  ranging  over  a  scale  of  two  inches. 
On  the  21st  of  January  he  observed  the  very  unusual  phe¬ 
nomenon  of  a  marked  rise  in  the  height,  which  attained  to 
an  altitude  of  four  and  a  half  inches,  and  was  accompanied 
by  a  slight  wave.  On  the  14th  of  March  a  similar  rise 
lasted  an  hour  and  a  quarter  at  the  greatest  altitude ;  then 
subsided  gradually  to  its  natural  proportions.  This  time  it 
rose  six  and  a  half  inches  above  its  habitual  level.  The  flood 
was  usually  observed  about  three  o’clock  in  the  afternoon. 
The  temperature  of  the  water  at  the  beginning  of  the  increase 
was  13°  Reaumur,  later  14°  +  :  shortly  before,  Tobler  had 
ascertained  the  warmth  of  the  water  in  the  Ain  esh  Shefa, 
or  Baths  of  Healing,  to  be  15°.  The  temperature  of  the 
spring  of  Mary  at  all  other  times  during  the  winter  was 
steadily  maintained  at  14°  R.  Tobler  says  that  the  water  is 
sweeter,  and  with  less  of  a  salty  taste,  in  winter  than  in 
summer ;  and  at  the  time  of  the  accession  of  the  new  supplies 
at  the  time  of  flood,  the  taste  is  less  salt  than  in  the  Baths  of 
Healing.  Tobler  does  not  propound  any  theory  in  connec¬ 
tion  with  this  ;  but  it  seems  to  be  very  natural  to  believe  that 
the  spring  of  Mary  receives  its  waters  regularly  from  a  cooler 
basin,  which,  on  account  of  its  greater  depth  or  greater 


158 


PALESTINE. 


quantity  of  water,  has  a  proportionately  lower  temperature ; 
but  that  this  is  raised  when  the  waters  of  the  healing  baths, 
which  are  nearer  the  surface  and  the  air,  flow  in.  This  seems 
to  happen  only  under  certain  physical  conditions,  on  which 
depend  the  flood  of  the  water  in  Mary’s  spring,  which  con¬ 
tinues  as  long  as  this  side  stream  enters,  and  then  gradually 
subsides,  and  receives  its  regular  supply  from  some  cooler 
source,  perhaps  beneath  the  Haram  itself.  At  any  rate,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  regarding  the  connection  of  the  spring  of 
Mary  with  other  great  basins ;  for  it  is  proved  by  the  tem¬ 
perature,  the  taste,  and  all  those  peculiarities  which  show 
a  common  origin  for  the  waters  which  are  found  in  the 

o 

Hierosolyma  subterranea. 

2.  The  Necropolis  around  Jerusalem.  The  Rock  Crypts  in 
the  Valley  of  Hinnom ;  the  Rock  Chambers  and  Mausolea 
in  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat ,  as  far  as  to  the  Grave  of 
Mary ;  the  Rock  Graves  north  of  the  City ;  the  Tombs 
of  the  Prophets ,  the  Judges,  of  Helena,  the  Kings,  and 
Herod. 

A  second  kind  of  memorial,  and  a  very  important  one  in 
helping  us  to  settle  the  ancient  topography  of  Jerusalem,  is 
found  in  the  ancient  graves  of  the  city,  because,  being  mostly 
subterranean,  and  cut  in  the  rock,  they  are  capable  of  little 
displacement,  and  in  this  respect  are  unlike  the  structures  on 
the  surface,  which  have  not  only  been  subjected  to  complete 
destruction,  but  have  passed  into  entirely  new  forms,  their 
parts  being  in  many  cases  removed  to  a  distance,  and  trans¬ 
formed  into  the  materials  which  make  up  other  buildings.  To 
attempt  to  trace  all  such  changes  must  lead  to  error.  The 
fragments  which  remain  of  the  three  walls  mentioned  by 
Josephus,  despite  the  appearance  here  and  there  of  blocks  of 
quarried  stone,  pillars,  arches,  and  other  ornaments,  are  very 
difficult  to  trace,  and  must  be  given  over  mainly  to  hypo¬ 
thetical  conclusions.  With  the  exception  of  a  few  main 
points,  all  that  belongs  to  the  early  Jewish  condition  of  the 
city,  and  to  its  character  when  held  by  Gentiles,  is  very 
obscure.  So,  too,  the  Cliristo-Byzantine  and  Arabian  periods 


THE  NECROPOLIS  AROUND  JERUSALEM.  159 


down  to  the  time  of  the  Crusades,  are  subject  to  the  same 
difficulties,  with  regard  to  its  architecture,  of  which  the 
Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  is  an  example.  There  the 
subterranean  grave  has  undergone  no  changes,  although  its 
surroundings  must  have  been  wholly  made  over ;  and  yet  it 
must  be  confessed  that  careful  study  is  able  to  detect  in  the 
remains  many  features  which  date  back  to  the  construction 
of  the  original  church  bearing  that  name.  In  less  important 
buildings  there  is  less  opportunity  to  trace  the  architectural 
changes,  and  no  particular  attention  has  as  yet  been  paid  to 
them.  This  is  a  task  which  it  is  for  the  future  to  attempt. 
There  are  objects  in  the  city  which  present  some  encou¬ 
ragement  to  explorers:  the  Kasr  ed  Jalud,  for  example, 
the  ancient  Goliath  fortress,  in  the  north-west  part  of  the 
city.  Scarcely  less  promising  are  the  old  wall,  with  its  Frank 
tower;  the  Burj  Jebel  Chani,  east  of  the  Herodian  gate, 
in  the  north-eastern  part  of  Bezetha.  But  many  of  the 
edifices  once  here,  and  whose  names  are  met  in  the  narratives 
of  the  ancient  pilgrims,  have  wholly  disappeared  :  among 
them  the  Byzantine  Churches  of  Chariton,  FEgidius,  John  the 
Baptist,  John  the  Evangelist,  those  of  Maria  Major  et  Minor, 
and  of  Maria  de  Latina.1  Scholtz  and  TobleF  are  the  two 
men  who  have  most  clearly  indicated  in  their  researches  what 
remains  to  be  done  in  examining  those  architectural  remains 
which  appear  at  all  promising.  The  last  mentioned  alludes 
particularly  to  the  proudly  aspiring  Mosque  Maulawiyyeh, 
the  ancient  Church  of  St  J ohn,  situated  near  the  Damascus 
gate.  On  its  inner  walls  may  be  perceived  even  now  fresco 
figures,  lightly  whitewashed  over.  Above,  at  the  Street  of 
the  Herodian  gate  Bab  es  Saheri,  there  are  still  to  be  seen 
marked  relics  of  the  Church  of  Mary  Magdalen,  called  by 
the  old  pilgrims  the  house  of  Simon  the  Pharisee,  and  by  the 
Arabs  Mamunijeh.  In  this  edifice  fresco  paintings  dating 
back  to  the  Frank  occupation  of  Jerusalem  are  to  be  seen. 

1  Compare  Robinson’s  admirable  History  of  Jerusalem ,  in  Rib.  Re¬ 
search.  i.  p.  865  et  sq. 

2  Comp.  Scholtz,  Reise,  pp.  171-177 ;  Tobler,  in  Ausland ,  1818,  No. 
xviii.  p.  71. 


1  GO 


PALESTINE. 


Soutli-east  of  this  lies  the  deserted  Church  of  St  Ann  el 
Salehiyyeh,  which  was  given  by  Saladin  to  the  Shaafites  for 
a  school — the  only  building  which  has  been  restored  by  the 
Turks.  Still  south-east  of  this  Church  of  St  Ann  lie,  on  the 
north  side  of  the  so-called  pool  of  Bethesda,  the  ruins  of  a 
former  nunnery,  called  also  by  the  name  of  St  Ann,  the 
reputed  mother  of  Mary — Haret  attiseh  Hannah.  It  stands 
in  the  street  Sucket  Bab  el  Hotta. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Church  of  the  Sepulchre 
there  are  still  to  be  seen  distinct  ruins  of  the  former  Hospice 
of  the  Knights  of  St  John,  which  at  the  time  of  Benjamin 
of  Tudela’s  visit  gave  shelter1  to  four  hundred  of  this  order, 
whose  duty  was  to  care  for  the  sick,  while  four  hundred 
others,  in  a  second  hospice,  were  always  in  a  state  of  readiness 
for  war.  The  place  is  marked  by  the  white  marble  clock- 
tower,  which  was  not  thrown  down  as  it  now  is  by  the 
Mohammedans,  but  partly  felt  the  natural  influence  of  time, 
and  also  in  the  year  1719  was  despoiled  of  its  top,  for  fear 
that  it  should  fall  over  and  injure  the  great  dome  of  the 
chapel  close  by.  The  minaret  known  as  Muristan,  standing 
just  south  of  it,  was  built  in  1465  in  the  spirit  of  Ishmaelitic 
defiance.  East  of  the  Church  of  the  Sepulchre,  says  Tobler, 
and  close  by  the  court  of  the  Abyssinian  Convent,  there  are 
interesting  architectural  relics  of  the  Frankish  possession  of 
the  city :  there  stood  the  edifice  where  the  musicians  lived, 
whose  duty  it  was  to  sing  in  the  adjacent  church ;  and  -west¬ 
ward,  vis-a-vis,  resided  the  Patriarch  of  Jerusalem,  in  a  house 
also  adjoining  the  church.  The  architecture  of  it  is  striking 
even  in  its  present  form.  When  one  thinks  of  the  rich  gifts 
which  have  been  made  to  all  the  religious  foundations  of 
Palestine  and  Syria,  and  recalls  the  minute  particularity  with 
which  such  transactions  have  been  recorded  in  countless 
documents,  in  the  court  records,  in  the  Codex  Diplomaticus 
of  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  and  of  the  Hospital  of 
St  John,  all  of  which  can  be  used  to  great  advantage  in 
studying  the  topography  of  Jerusalem  at  the  time  of  the 
crusaders,  it  will  not  seem  too  sanguine  an  expectation  to 
1  See  B.  von  Tudela,  ed.  Asher,  p.  69. 


THE  NECROPOLIS  AROUND  JERUSALEM.  161 


look  confidently  forward  to  a  time — not  distant,  let  us  hope — 
when  the  careful  use  of  these  materials  will  give  us  new 
data  towards  solving  difficult  problems  relating  to  the  early 
topography  of  the  Holy  City. 

With  regard  to  the  Hospice  of  the  Knights  of  St  John, 
of  which  only  the  lower  storey  remains,  filled  with  earth  and 
rubbish,  and  forming  a  garden,  Scholtz1  cites  some  particulars 
which  seem  to  warrant  the  conclusion  that  careful  inquiry 
would  yield  valuable  results.  At  the  time  of  the  Crusades 
this  building  seems  to  have  lain  between  the  Bazaar  and  the 
Holy  Sepulchre,  and  to  have  been  three  times  as  large  as  the 
Armenian  Convent,  or  five  hundred  paces  long.  It  was 
nearly  as  broad  as  it  was  long,  and  appears  to  have  had  much 
the  appearance  of  a  fortress.  When  Saladin  had  availed 
himself  of  treachery,  and  scaled  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  the 
Christians  fled  to  this  hospice,  and  defended  themselves 
obstinately  there  for  a  long  time  :  they  were  obliged  to  yield 
at  last,  however,  and  were  all  massacred.  Saladin  took  up 
his  residence  there.  The  Mosque  ed  Demah  was  erected  by 
his  nephew  in  1216,  the  minaret  in  1417 :  the  latter  was 
destroyed  by  an  earthquake  in  1459,  but  was  rebuilt  in  1465. 
Scholtz  says  that  walls  are  lacking  in  the  interior,  and  that 
the  whole  is  deserted  at  the  present  time.  Little  huts  and 
booths  are  set  up  on  the  southern  and  eastern  sides :  these 
are  the  property  of  the  Patriarch  of  Jerusalem.  Scholtz 
tells  us  of  one  of  those  patriarchs  who  fell  in  love  with  a 
Turkish  girl,  gave  up  his  faith,  accepted  the  Koran,  and  left 
behind  him  a  numerous  family,  forty  branches  of  which  were 
in  the  city  when  he  was  there :  these  live  on  the  income  of 
the  houses  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the  old  hospice, 
and  in  the  region  where  Schultz,  Ivrafft,  and  others  claim  to 
have  discovered  architectural  relics  dating  back  to  the  most 
ancient  times  in  the  history  of  Jerusalem.2 

It  only  remains  for  me  to  make  such  mention  of  the 
remarkable  ancient  graves,  which  exist  in  uncounted  numbers 
on  all  sides  of  Jerusalem,  as  may  throw  light  upon  the  topo- 

1  Scholtz,  Rcise,  108,  169 ;  comp.  Williams,  Holy  City,  i.  Suppl.  47. 

2  Schultz,  Jerusalem,  pp.  31,  61 ;  Krafft,  Topoy.  p.  26  et  sq. 

VOL.  IV.  L 


102 


PALESTINE. 


graphy  and  history  of  the  city.  In  dealing  with  them,  we 
must  follow  the  guidance  of  the  most  earnest  inquirers  and 
the  most  accurate  students  into  the  character  of  the  belt  of 
sepulchres  which  girds  this  unique  centre  of  the  Christian 
world.  We  find  that  in  the  early  Hebrew  literature,  for 
example  (2  Kings  xxiii.  6),  there  are  allusions  to  the  graves 
of  the  common  people  in  the  Valley  of  Kidron;  for  when 
king  Josiah  wished  to  purify  the  temple  of  all  idolatry,  and 
to  burn  the  grove  which  the  priests  of  Baal  had  transplanted 
there,  he  caused  the  ashes  to  be  thrown  upon  the  burial- 
places  just  mentioned.  Family  vaults  and  tombs  were  held 
in  high  estimation  by  the  great  men  of  Israel  from  a  very 
early  day,  as  can  be  seen  from  the  pious  care  for  his  dead 
taken  by  Abraham  in  Hebron,  from  the  sepulchres  of  the 
kings  on  Mount  Zion,  and  from  the  words  spoken  by  Isaiah 
at  the  time  of  king  Hezekiah.  In  the  twenty-second  chapter, 
from  the  15th  to  the  17th  verses,  we  have  the  words  of  rebuke 
spoken  by  the  prophet  to  Shebna1  the  treasurer,  who  was 
just  on  the  point  of  hewing  out  a  rock  sepulchre  for  himself 
and  his  family:  “What  doest  thou  here,  and  why  dost  thou 
hew  out  a  sepulchre  in  the  high  places,  and  make  a  resting- 
place  for  thyself  in  the  rock?  Behold,  J ehovah  shall  cast  thee 
out,”  etc.  Such  burial-places  were  a  universal  necessity  of 
Israel  in  its  earlier  days. 

I  have  on  a  previous  page  alluded  to  the  graves  of  Chris¬ 
tians  who  have  died  within  modern  times:  they  lie,  the  reader 
will  remember,  upon  the  southern  slope  of  Zion,  and  outside 
the  city  walls.  The  Mohammedans  bury  their  dead  in  three 
different  places,2  but  mainly  on  the  east  side  of  the  city,  under  • 
the  shadow  of  the  Haram  walls :  the  second  spot  is  north  of 
J erusalem,  near  the  cave  of  J eremiah ;  and  the  third  on  the 
western  side,  in  the  upper  valley  of  Gihon,  and  near  the 
Mamilla  pool,  whose  name  they  interpret  etymologically  Ma 
min  Allah:  The  one  come  from  God.  The  Jews’  burying- 
place  lies  on  the  western  slope  of  the  Mount  of  Olives,  above 
the  old  graves  in  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  where  they  await, 

1  Gesenius,  Comment,  zu  Isaias ,  p.  694. 

2  Krafft,  Topog.  p.  221 ;  Schultz,  Jerusalem ,  p.  28. 


THE  NECROPOLIS  AROUND  JERUSALEM.  163 


in  common  with  the  ancient  people  of  their  nation  interred 
there,  the  last  day  and  the  great  judgment.  All  other  graves 
are  memorials  of  more  ancient  times,  but  of  the  most  varied 
dates :  they  have  slight,  and  only  slight,  differences  in  their 
internal  structure  and  their  external  form,  unless  they  be 
distinguished  by  sculptures  and  inscriptions.  The  uniform 
type  of  these1  is  a  door  cut  in  the  solid  rock,  leading  to  a 
chamber,  and  that  to  others,  of  equal  height  with  the  door ; 
the  whole  hewn  out  of  the  rock,  but  separated  from  each 
other  by  walls  equally  old  with  the  tomb  itself,  and  utterly 
without  decoration.  In  these  walls  there  are  niches  for  the 
reception  of  the  bodies ;  but  they  are  so  set  in,  that  only  one 
can  lie  in  each  wall,  making  it  necessary  to  excavate  many 
chambers  for  a  family,  and  so  rendering  this  kind  very 
expensive.  Or  we  have  them  so  that  the  niches  admit  of 
the  bodies  being  laid,  not  parallel  with  the  main  entrance, 
but  at  right  angles, — an  arrangement  which  allows  far  more 
interments  within  a  small  space,  and  which  therefore  put 
this  kind  of  tomb  at  the  disposal  of  the  less  wealthy.  It 
was  a  great  advantage,  and  therefore  usual,  to  make  use  of 
existing  quarries,  and  to  convert  them  into  tombs ;  and  it 
made  it  still  easier,  when,  at  the  corner  of  a  great  mass  of 
rock,  there  were  already  two  entrances,  to  connect  them, 
and  provide  walls  and  niches,  converting  them  into  spacious 
tombs.  All  this  gave  rise  to  many  diversities  in  the  outward 
form. 

Really  artistic  mausolea,  such  as  those  found  in  many  of 
the  great  heathen  capitals,  are  found  to  be  very  rare  at  Jeru¬ 
salem  :  those  which  remain  are  mostly  the  ones  in  the  Valley  of 
Jehoshaphat  and  on  the  north  side  of  the  city,  whose  builders 
are  now  quite  unknown  to  us.  There  are  no  graves  in  those 
parts  of  the  city  which,  before  the  capture  by  the  Romans, 
were  included  within  the  walls, — for  example,  on  the  north 
side  of  the  Valley  of  Hinnom  at  Ophla,  and  on  the  south 
slope  of  Zion, — since  all  Jewish  burial-places  could  only  lie 
outside  of  the  city,  the  graves  of  the  kings  alone  excepted.2 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  352 ;  Schultz,  Jerusalem ,  p.  97. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  360  et  sq. 


164 


PALESTINE. 


During  recent  years  Krafft  and  Tobler  have  called  more 
particular  attention  to  the  sepulchral  monuments  than  they 
had  ever  received  before :  they  have  collected  their  inscrip¬ 
tions,  and  given  minute  sketches  of  their  interiors. 

1.  The  Necropolis  in  the  Valley  of  Gihon,  and 
Ben  Hinnom . 

In  the  Valley  of  Gihon,  on  the  west  side  of  the  city,  and 
around  the  Mamilla  pool,  there  are  no  graves  of  importance 
mentioned,  which  would  throw  light  upon  the  history  of 
Jerusalem  :  the  number,  too,  seems  to  be  very  small.  They 
are  all  in  a  state  of  ruin,  and  are  little  visited.  Below1  the 
lower  pool  of  Gihon,  or  the  Birket  es  Sultan,  however,  the 
remarkable  succession  which  follows  the  southern  wall  of  the 
Valley  of  Hinnom,  begins  the  unquestionably  modern  bury- 
ing-ground  of  the  Karaites.2  A  wall  rises  to  a  height  of 
thirty  or  forty  feet,  composed  of  successive  strata  of  blue  lime¬ 
stone,  overshadowed  by  a  cluster  of  dark  olive  trees.  It  runs 
on,  all  the  way  becoming  richer  in  tombs,  to  the  junction  of  the 
Hinnom  and  the  J ehoshaphat  valleys,  where  the  deeper-lying 
grounds  of  the  King’s  Garden  are  surrounded  on  all  sides  by 
a  wall  full  of  rock-hewn  sepulchres.  They  extend  their 
course  northward  through  the  whole  length  of  the  Valley  of 
Jehosliapliat  past  the  Church  of  Mary,  and  to  the  northern¬ 
most  trace  of  the  Ivedron,  near  the  tombs  of  Helena,  Simon 
the  Just,  and  the  Judges,  the  last  of  which  are  wrought  with 
some  art,  and  are  ascribed  on  archaeological  grounds  to  the 
time  of  the  Homan  possession.  At  the  western  commence¬ 
ment  of  the  lower  valley  of  Hinnom,  within  an  ancient  quarry, 
is  the  burial-place  of  the  Karaites,  a  sect  of  Jewish  separatists, 
who  receive  only  what  is  written,  and  pay  no  heed  to  tradi¬ 
tion.  They  have  long,  flat,  semicircular  gravestones,  with 
Hebrew  inscriptions  of  a  recent  date.  Hard  by  is  a  rock 
sepulchre,  over  whose  entrance  are  some  very  rudely  executed 
Hebrew  3  words,  which  used  to  be  considered  Phoenician,  but 
which  have  been  shown  to  relate  to  the  Karaites  just  alluded 

1  Scholtz,  Reise ,  p.  177. 

2  Krafft,  Topog.  p.  190. 


3  Ibid.  pp.  179, 191. 


THE  NECROPOLIS  AROUND  JERUSALEM.  165 


to.  There  are  given  the  date  of  birth  and  of  death,  and  a 
brief  prayer  to  God. 

Not  far  from  that  place  are  found  some  graves  hollowed 
out  of  the  rock  wall,  and  near  them  the  words  inscribed — 

THX  ATI  AX  CIS1N, 

which  Dr  Clarke,1  who  discovered  them,  interpreted  as  im¬ 
plying  that  here  was  Mount  Zion,  and  the  place  where  Jesus 
was  buried, — a  view  which  has  long  since  been  disposed  of. 
The  words,  says  Krafft,  signify  nothing  more  than  that 
these  old  Jewish  sepulchres  were  used  again  in  the  more 
recent  Christian  times,  and  that  the  new  occupants  belonged 
to  the  Church  of  the  Apostles  worshipping  on  Zion,  which 
Avas  known  as  the  hallowed  Zion  as  Ions;  aero  as  when  Willi- 
bald  wrote  (a.d.  786).  Job.  Phocas,  writing  in  1185,  confirms 
Willibald  in  this,  and  terms  the  place  ayia  Xicov. 

Farther  eastward,  and  close  by  the  path  leading  from 
Zion  through  the  Valley  of  Hinnom  to  the  Mount  of  Evil 
Counsel,  there  lies  a  tomb  over  whose  entrance  stands  a 
Greek  inscription,  stating  that  ten  Germans,  probably  pil¬ 
grims,  are  interred  there.2  These  and  many  other  of  the 
rock  chambers  lying  farther  east,  some  of  which  are  furnished 
with  pilasters,  others  with  hewn  crosses,  and  with  brief  in¬ 
scriptions  such  as  MNHMA,  served,  although  dating  back 
to  the  remote  Jewish  times,  in  subsequent  centuries  as  the 
burial-places  of  Christians,  and  show  that  at  all  times  there 
has  been  there  a  crowded  necropolis  for  the  always  large 
population  of  Jerusalem. 

Still  farther  east,  the  number  of  graves  increases  in 
Aceldama,  the  field  of  blood  of  tradition,  according  to  Matt, 
xxvii.  7,  8,  and  Acts  i.  19,  but  which  was  formerly  called 
the  potters’  field.  It  is  a  fact  that  even  at  the  present  time 
there  is  found  there  a  not  unimportant  layer  of  white  clay, 
still  used  for  potters’  purposes.  From  Jer.  xix.  1,  2,  11,  we 
learn  that  the  house  of  the  potter  to  whose  earthen  vessel  the 

1  E.  D.  Clarke,  Travels ,  iv.  p.  32G  et  sq.  ;  Robinson,  Bib.  Research. 
i.  p.  353  ;  Krafft,  Topoy.  p.  192. 

2  Krafft,  Topoy.  p.  193. 


166 


PALESTINE. 


prophet  was  directed,  lay  in  the  valley  :  he  was  to  break  it 
before  the  potters’  gate  in  the  Valley  of  Ben  Hinnom,  before 
the  eyes  of  the  people  and  their  elders,  for  a  sign  and  a 
threatening  that  Jehovah  would  in  like  manner  break  His 
rebellious  people  who  served  Baal  in  this  valley  and  on  the 
heights  around,  and  brought  their  own  children  in  their  arms 
as  an  offering  to  the  image  of  Moloch.  The  valley  was  there¬ 
after  no  more  to  be  called  Tophet,  the  high  place  of  sacrifice, 
nor  Ben  Hinnom,  the  children  of  Hinnom,  but  the  Valley  of 
Slaughter. 

According  to  Matthew,  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver  which 
were  paid  for  the  betrayal  of  Jesus,  and  which  the  traitor 
threw  into  the  treasury  of  the  temple  before  he  hanged  him¬ 
self,  were  not  suffered  by  the  high  priest  to  be  retained,  but 
were  used  as  purchase  money  to  buy  the  potters’  field  as  a 
place  to  bury  pilgrims  in.  This  it  has  remained  during  the 
long  succession  of  centuries  from  that  time  to  this.  In  the 
year  1143,  the  church  in  Aceldama,  in  which  strangers  were 
buried,  became  the  Hospital  of  the  Knights  of  St  John.1 
Eusebius  and  Jerome  even  allude  to  it.  In  the  fourteenth 
century  it  was  in  the  possession  of  the  Latins ;  then  of  the 
Armenians,  who  paid  a  high  sum  for  the  privilege  of  being 
interred  there,  under  the  delusion  that  if  they  should  be  put 
in  that  place  after  their  death,  it  would  atone  for  the  sins 
which  they  had  committed  during  life.  It  is  only  since  the 
beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century  that  the  place  has  ceased 
being  used  for  sepulchral  purposes.  The  same  delusion,  or 
rather  the  opinion,  that  in  the  dry  clay  of  the  potters’  field 
bodies  would  pass  into  a  state  of  perfect  decay  sooner  than 
anywhere  else,  was  the  occasion  for  the  Pisanese  in  1218  to 
remove  seven  shiploads  of  it  to  their  city,  and  to  place  it  in 
their  Campo  Santo  :  some  of  it  is  said  to  have  found  its  way 
to  Rome  also.  The  present  graves  in  Aceldama  2  are  not 
excavated  in  the  clay,  but  in  the  rock,  and  are  arched  over : 
they  probably  occupy  the  site  of  former  quarries,  and  their 
walls  are  profusely  covered  with  crosses  hewn  in  the  rock. 

1  Sebast.  Pauli,  Codice  diplomatico ,  i.  p.  23,  No.  xxii. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Besearch.  i.  p.  395  ;  Schultz,  p.  39. 


THE  NECROPOLIS  AROUND  JERUSALEM.  1G7 


Still  farther  east,  there  is  met  an  excavated  chamber  with  the 
inscription  cited  above  as  seen  elsewhere,  ay  la?  %lcov,  show¬ 
ing  that  the  graves  of  members  of  the  Church  of  Sion  ex¬ 
tended  as  far  eastward  as  this  point,  and  indeed  yet  farther, 
for  the  same  words  are  found  farther  on. 

The  ornamented  tomb,  with  its  four  chambers  and  its 
many  niches  (according  to  Tobler’s  plan  of  the  city,  No.  10, 
the  Graves  of  the  Apostles  in  the  Yalley  of  Hinnom),  dating 
probably  from  the  time  of  Herod,  is  held,  considered  in  con¬ 
nection  with  some  adjoining  ones,  to  be  the  Latibula  of  the 
Apostles,  in  which,  according  to  the  legend  of  the  middle  ages, 
eight  of  the  twelve  were  concealed  during  the  time  of  Jesus’ 
imprisonment.  In  the  sixteenth  century  it  was  restored  by 
the  Franciscan  monks  at  the  expense  of  the  Catholic  king 
Philip,  and  decorated  with  images  of  the  saints.  Here,  too, 
according  to  the  tradition,  was  the  grave  of  Ananias  the 
high  priest. 

Farther  eastward,  Krafft1  describes  an  entrance  to  a 
subterranean  vault,  which  was  bordered  by  carved  work, 
access  being  effected  by  turning  a  large  stone2  upon  its 
edge,  while  a  second  large  one  stood  just  in  front  in  a 
place  prepared  for  it,  reminding  him  of  the  arrangement 
connected  with  the  sealing  of  the  stone  at  the  grave  of 
Jesus  (Matt,  xxvii.  66,  xxviii.  2).  The  interior  of  this  half- 
closed  tomb  he  found  richly  ornamented.  At  the  entrance 
appeared  a  chamber  twelve  feet  square,  arched  over  in  the 
form  of  a  domed  vault,  and  having  several  small  and  simple 
pilasters  ;  at  the  side  are  other  chambers  with  niches  at  the 
side,  and  stone  coffins.  Opposite  to  the  entrance  there  is  a 
second  door  leading  to  a  chamber  lying  still  deeper,  furnished 
also  with  niches, — an  arrangement  which  corresponds  to  the 
descriptions  of  Jewish  graves  given  in  the  Talmud.  Here 
Krafft  discovered  an  inscription  which  shows  that  the  tomb 
was  used  by  Christians  during  the  middle  ages.  It  runs 
thus  :  The  place  of  interment  of  ten  men,  superintendents  of 
the  Convent  of  Benas  of  George.  This,  however,  does  not 

1  Krafft,  Topogr.  p.  197. 

2  Comp.  Ritter,  Erdkunde ,  xv.  p.  380,  etc. 


168 


PALESTINE. 


throw  any  full  light  upon  the  question,  since  there  were  several 
foundations  named  in  honour  of  St  George.  It  may  be  that 
the  one  referred  to  here  was  the  little  Church  of  St  George 
el  Chuddr,  whose  ruins  lie  on  the  west  side  of  Hinnom,  north 
of  the  fallen  Arabian  village  Abu  Wair,  west  of  Birket 
Sultan.  This  is  probably  the  one  indicated  by  No.  1  on 
Tobler’s  plan  j1  a  rock  grave  given  in  outline,  extending  in  a 
south-easterly  direction.  Among  the  numerous  crypts  which 
belong  to  this  group  of  tombs  is  one  with  this  inscription : 
u  The  grave  of  several  men  from  Borne,  connected  with  the 
holy  Zion,”  making  it  probable  that  people  of  various  nations, 
going  to  Jerusalem  to  perform  their  pilgrimages,  were  buried 
there.  The  rock  graves  which  are  found  still  below  the 
junction  of  Hinnom  and  Jehoshaphat  cover  a  considerable 
extent  of  surface,  and  are  in  some  cases  by  no  means  small, 
but  they  are  destitute  of  any  architectural  grace. 

2.  The  Necropolis  in  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat ,  from  Ben 
Hinnom  northward  along  the  Kedron  to  the  reputed 
Grave  of  Mary ,  and  those  of  the  Prophets  at  the  Mount 
of  Olives. 

From  the  Fountain  of  Bogel  and  the  King’s  Garden,  at 
the  confluence  of  the  three  valleys  (including  the  Tyropoeon), 
the  one  bearing  the  name  of  Jehoshaphat  runs  northward  as 
far  as  the  Gate  of  St  Stephen,  and  then  widens  consider¬ 
ably,  and  extends  farther  in  the  same  direction,  making  the 
circuit  of  the  north  side  of  the  city.  Both  of  its  sides  are 
full  of  tombs. 

At  the  Gate  of  Stephen,  the  western  wrall  under  the 
terrace  of  the  Haram  is  fully  a  hundred  feet  high.  Here  it 
is  traversed  by  a  road  leading  westward  out  of  the  city,  and 
conducting  over  the  generally  dry  brook  Kedron,  and  to 
Gethsemane,  by  a  bridge.2 

The  reputed  grave  of  Mary,  which  is  there,  is  surmounted 
by  a  church,  half  of  it,  however,  subterranean.  The  entrance 

1  Schultz,  Jerusalem ,  p.  38. 

2  Bobinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  476  ;  Bartlett,  Walks,  etc.,  p.  99  ; 
Williams,  Holy  City ,  ii.  p.  431. 


TIIE  NECROPOLIS  AROUND  JERUSALEM.  109 


to  the  sepulchre  is  very  similar  to  that  on  the  south  side  of 
the  Holy  Sepulchre,  and  dates  apparently  from  Byzantine 
times.  Before  this  is  a  small  sunken  court  (probably  once 
a  quarry),  from  which  a  staircase  leads  down  to  the  church. 
Tradition  ascribes  the  erection  of  it  to  the  Empress  Helena  ; 
others,  like  Brocardus,  Mar.  Sanutus,  consider  the  grave  much 
older,  and  involved  in  the  destruction  and  ruin  effected  by 
the  Romans  when  they  took  the  city.  The  earliest  mention 
of  it  is  made  by  Arculfus  in  the  year  705,  and  by  Willibald 
in  786.  In  the  Itinercir.  Burdig.  of  333  there  is  mention 
neither  of  this  grave  of  Mary  nor  of  Gethsemane,  although 
the  valley  is  repeatedly  mentioned  by  pilgrims  to  the  Mount 
of  Olives  and  Bethany.  We  have  no  historical  informa¬ 
tion  regarding  the  end  of  Mary,  and  there  is  an  equal 
lack  regarding  the  place  of  her  sepulture  ;  yet  the  situation 
near  Gethsemane,  the  scene  of  her  Son’s  greatest  sorrows 
and  inward  trials,  seems  not  at  all  unnatural,  and  very  satis¬ 
factory  and  comforting  to  the  mass  of  believers.  The  local- 
izing  of  her  grave  in  some  distant  part  of  western  Asia,  to 
which  she  is  said  to  have  been  sent  by  the  Apostle  John,  has 
no  more  historical  ground  to  rest  upon  than  that  which  places 
her  grave  here  in  the  Kedron  valley,  and  at  the  foot  of  the 
Mount  of  Olives. 

Arabian  authors  and  the  present  native  Arabs  call  the 
church  el-Ismaniyeh,  i.e.  Gethsemane,  taking  the  name  from 
the  small  olive  garden  scarcely  a  hundred  steps  away,  sur¬ 
rounded  by  a  simple  stone  wall,  and  square  in  its-  shape. 
This  wall  encloses  the  celebrated  group  of  eight  very  old 
olive  trees,  which  are  surrounded  by  heaps  of  stones.  These 
trees  may  date  back  to  the  time  of  Helena  (326),  and  very 
probably  to  the  time  when  Jerusalem  was  taken  possession  of 
by  Omar  and  his  Arab  hordes.  Even  the  Turks  respect 
the  trees,  and  allow  no  injury  to  be  done  to  them.  Bove, 
the  experienced  botanist,1  measured  the  circumference  of 
these  trees,  whose  height  is  usually  from  thirty  to  forty  feet, 
and  found  it  to  be  generally  from  eighteen  to  nineteen  feet : 
he  thinks  them  at  least  two  thousand  years  old,  allowing  the 
1  Bove,  Recit.  in  Bullet,  de  la  Soc.  Geogr.  Paris ,  1835,  iii.  p.  382. 


170 


PALESTINE. 


growth  of  a  half  millemetre  for  each  year.  There  Is  no 
tradition  extant  concerning  any  visit  to  these  trees  before  the 
time  of  Helena.  Eusebius,  who  wrote  several  years  later, 
speaks  of  the  Gethsemane  of  the  Scriptures  at  the  Mount  of 
Olives  (Matt.  xxvi.  36  ;  Mark  xiv.  32),  a  place  of  prayer  for 
believers.  The  Bordeaux  pilgrim  speaks  of  a  stone  stand¬ 
ing  at  the  Mount  of  Olives,  at  which  Jesus  was  betrayed. 
A  hundred  years  later,  Jerome  sets  Gethsemane  at  the  foot 
of  the  mount,  and  says  that  a  church  was  then  erected  at  the 
spot.  This  edifice  Theophanes  alludes  to  in  Chronic.  A.D. 
863  as  still  standing;  but  of  it  no  trace  is  now  to  be  seen, 
unless  it  be  the  sepulchre  and  chapel  hard  by,  known  now  by 
the  name  of  Mary. 

The  peaceful  solitude  of  the  Kedron  valley  has  had  its 
suitable  consecration  in  the  last  struggles  of  the  Saviour  on 
earth,  who  withdrew  thither  at  nightfall  from  the  tumult  of 
the  city,  in  anticipation  of  His  great  sufferings,  and  in  pre¬ 
paration  for  His  betrayal.  During  the  day  He  taught  in  the 
temple,  says  Luke  (xxi.  37)  ;  but  at  evening  He  went  out  and 
spent  the  night  at  the  Mount  of  Olives.  In  Luke  xxii.  39, 
we  are  told  that  He  went  out,  according  to  His  custom,  to  the 
Mount  of  Olives  ;  that  His  disciples  followed  Him  thither, 
and  that  there  He  kneeled  down  and  prayed.  From  John 
xviii.  1  we  learn  that  Jesus  went  out  with  His  disciples  over 
the  brook  Kedron,  where  was  a  garden,  in  which  Jesus 
tarried  with  His  followers,  and  in  which  also  His  betrayer 
found  Him.  No  pilgrim  can  ever  pass  this  solitary  valley 
without  quickened  thoughts  and  heightened  emotions,  looking 
upon  this  gloomy  grove  where  Jesus  contended  with  the 
terror  of  death  in  the  presence  of  His  disciples,  while  they 
left  Him  to  tread  the  wine-press  alone  (Isa.  lxiii.  3,  5),  to  bear 
the  burden  of  His  pains  (Isa.  liii.  5,  11),  while  they  slept.1 

I  have  already  spoken  of  the  path  leading  from  the  bridge 
to  the  Mount  of  Olives,  but  must  here  speak  somewhat  more 
minutely  of  the  bridge  itself,  and  the  valley  which  it  traverses. 
It  is  erected  upon  a  kind  of  dam  terrace  which  crosses  the 
valley ;  its  southern  wall  is  perpendicular,  but  its  northern 
1  Yon  Schubert,  Reise ,  ii.  p.  518. 


THE  NECROPOLIS  AROUND  JERUSALEM.  171 


edge  is  no  higher  than  the  masses  of  rubbish  which  have 
been  heaped  up  in  the  valley  to  such  an  extent  as  sensibly 
to  raise  its  level  above  the  bridge.  The  open  arch  is  seven¬ 
teen  feet  above  the  water-bed ;  but  a  pair  of  subterranean 
canals,  one  of  which  issues  from  the  Church  of  Mary  near 
by,  serve  to  convey  the  rain-water  under  this  bridge,  whose 
erection  is  ascribed  to  Helena  by  the  older  pilgrims.  The 
whole  breadtli  of  the  valley  is  narrowed  at  this  point  to  about 
four  hundred  feet :  it  becomes  narrower  as  it  extends  south¬ 
ward,  and  then  first  discloses  traces  of  a  regular  water-bed, 
which,  however,  is  often  dry  for  years.  There  follows  a 
second  bridge  with  one  arch,  at  whose  eastern  side  are  seen 
those  tasteful  mausolea  which  have  their  own  special  names. 
These  are  followed  by  Jewish  graves  on  both  sides,  and  by 
the  village  of  Silwan,  opposite  the  space  between  the  foun¬ 
tains  of  the  Virgin  and  of  Siloah.  It  lies  not  directly  in  the 
valley,  but  about  half-way  up  the  side  of  the  eminence. 
Here  may  be  traced  the  beginnings  of  that  luxuriant  growth 
of  figs,  pomegranates,  olives,  and  other  fruits  and  vegetables, 
which  particularly  characterizes  the  junction  of  the  valleys, 
making  the  place  always  a  marked  one  in  the  topography 
of  Jerusalem  —  the  King’s  Garden  of  the  ancient  times, 
and  also  the  seat  of  that  worship  of  Moloch  and  Baal  which 
gave  it  the  name  of  Tophet,  the  Unclean  Place,  and  caused 
it  to  be  shunned  by  the  later  Jews  on  account  of  the  fires 
kindled  in  the  sacrifices  to  those  gods,  and  to  be  called  Hell, 
the  place  of  perpetual  damnation,  and  Gehenna.1 

The  present  village  of  Silwan  is  for  the  most  part  built 
out  of  an  ancient  city  of  tombs  :  the  fellahs  have  either  used 
the  vaults  themselves  for  houses,  or  have  built  slight  struc¬ 
tures  in  front  of  them  out  of  the  loose  stones  lying  around. 

On  coming  to  the  end  of  these  abodes  of  the  living  in  the 
houses  of  the  dead — a  sight  which  is  artistically  not  without 
some  picturesqueness — we  come  to  a  stone  monument  hewn 
out  of  the  solid  rock,2  which  in  its  form  reminds  the  observer 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  274.  Comp.  Roberts,  The  Holy  Land , 
Book  iv. ;  Bartlett,  Walks,  etc.,  p.  110,  Tab.  xii. 

*  Krafft,  Topogr.  p.  198. 


172 


PALESTINE. 


of  the  pyramids  on  the  plain  of  Gizeh.  It  is  in  the  form  of 
a  pylon,  i.e.  a  small  pyramid  with  an  oblong  base,  whose 
flattened  top  sustains  a  fluted  tore  ;  a  small  door  leads  to  the 
interior,  and  opens  towards  the  valley. 

As  we  pass  down  to  the  deepest  place  in  the  gorge,  step¬ 
ping  over  the  countless  gravestones  which  cover  the  Jews 
buried  there,  reaching  higher  up  the  valley  than  the  upper 
part  of  the  village  of  Silwan,  and  bearing  inscriptions  which 
are  but  a  few  centuries  old  at  the  longest,  we  arrive  at  some 
architectural  monuments  of  great  interest  on  the  east  side  of 
the  valley. 

These  mausolea  stand  in  a  row  running  from  south  to 
north,  and  have  received  at  the  hands  of  a  comparatively 
recent  tradition  the  name  of  Zacharias,  James,  Absalom,  and 
Jehoshaphat.1  Those  designated  by  the  first  and  third  of 
these  appellations  are  monoliths,  real  rock  monuments ;  the 
two  others  are  only  grave  caverns  with  doors.  They  lie  in 
the  narrowest  part  of  the  valley,  close  by  a  perpendicular  wall 
of  rock,  out  of  which  they  seem  to  have  been  hewn.  The 
bed  of  the  Kedron  is  hard  by.  The  style  of  their  architecture 
appears  to  be  a  peculiar  mixture  of  Persian  and  Greek,  like 
that  found  in  Syria,  or  more  eminently  that  to  be  seen  in 
the  mausolea  of  Wadi  Musa,  the  former  residence  of  the 
Nabatlimans  and  Idumaea-Arabian  possessors,  who  are  not 
to  be  assigned  to  a  period  prior  to  that  of  Christ.  It  is 
the  style  of  the  Herodian  age,  which  the  showy  monarchs 
of  that  line  loved  to  indulge  in,  and  is  explained  by  the 
marriages  which  they  contracted  with  the  princes  of  other 
nations,  leading  as  they  did  to  the  incorporation  of  the 
manners,  and  even  architectural  styles,  of  those  nations. 
These  mausolea  cannot  be  ascribed  to  the  age  of  Hadrian, 
for  they  lack  the  purity  and  the  elegance  of  the  Poman 
sculpture  and  architecture  left  by  that  monarch.  They  show 
on  the  one  hand  an  excess  of  ornament,  and  on  the  other  a 
certain  rudeness  and  lack  of  unity. 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  349  ;  Krafft,  Topog.  pp.  199-202  ; 
Williams,  Holy  City ,  ii.  pp.  157-160  ;  Bartlett,  Walks,  p.  114,  Tab.  xiv., 
p.  145,  Tab.  xli. 


THE  NECROPOLIS  AROUND  JERUSALEM.  173 


Who  the  Zacharias  was,  who  is  commemorated  in  the 
southernmost  corner  of  these  monuments,  is  unknown.  The 
legend  ascribes  it  to  the  one  who  was  stoned  between  the 
temple  and  the  altar,  the  son  of  Jehoiada,  a  contemporary  of 
king  Joash  (2  Chron.  xxiv.  21,  Matt,  xxiii.  35).  It  is  a  mas¬ 
sive  cube  with  a  pyramidal  point  above,  and  is  hewn  out  of 
the  solid  rock.  It  is  thirty  feet  in  height,  and  eighteen  feet 
square.  At  the  side  stand  some  pillars  of  the  Ionic  order. 

Just  as  uncertain  and  untrustworthy  is  the  authenticity  of 
the  tomb  of  James,  to  whose  front  chamber  a  low  doorway, 
enclosed  between  two  Doric  columns,  leads.  Tobler  gives  a 
sketch  of  the  interior,  and  states  that  there  are  six  different 
rooms  and  several  niches  for  the  reception  of  the  dead.  The 
legend  asserts  of  it  that  it  was  the  place  of  refuge  to  which 
the  Apostle  James  fled,  and  where  he  remained  hid  in  the 
interim  between  the  crucifixion  and  the  resurrection  of  Jesus. 

The  so-called  grave  of  Absalom  is  sixty  steps  farther 
north,  and  close  by  the  lower  bridge  over  the  Kedron. 
Tobler  has  given  a  good  plan  of  it.  Williams  has  availed 
himself  of  the  drawing  of  the  architect  Scole,  and  published  in 
his  work  an  elegant  view  not  only  of  its  external,  but  also  of 
its  internal  arrangements.  It  is  a  square  solid  mass  of  rock, 
twenty  feet  on  each  side,  and  is  decorated  on  the  outside  with 
small  Ionic  pilasters.  In  the  interior  there  is  a  vault  recently 
discovered,  with  niches  for  the  reception  of  the  dead.  For 
a  long  time  it  has  been  the  universal  custom  for  Jews  to  cast 
stones  at  this  tomb,  and  to  spit  on  it  in  passing,  in  accordance 
with  a  custom  which  they  share  with  the  Arabs,  and  which 
is  intended  to  express  horror  towards  those  who  array  them¬ 
selves  against  God.  In  this  case  the  object  is  to  keep  in 
perpetual  loathing  the  memory  of  Absalom  and  his  rebellion 
against  the  authority  of  his  father  David.  In  2  Sam.  xviii. 
17,  18,  we  have  the  following  account  of  the  burial-place  of 
Absalom  :  “  And  they  took  Absalom,  and  cast  him  into  a  great 
pit  in  the  wood,  and  laid  a  very  great  heap  of  stones  upon 
him  :  and  all  Israel  fled  every  one  to  his  tent.  Now  Absalom 
in  his  lifetime  had  taken  and  reared  up  for  himself  a  pillar, 
which  is  in  the  king’s  dale :  for  he  said,  I  have  no  son  to 


174 


PALESTINE. 


keep  my  name  in  remembrance ;  and  be  called  the  pillar 
after  bis  own  name :  and  it  is  called  unto  this  day,  Absalom’s 
Place.”  In  harmony  with  this  passage,  Josephus  states  that 
Absalom  erected  for  himself  in  the  king’s  valley  a  marble 
monument,  and  called  it  his  u  hand  it  lay  two  stadia  from 
Jerusalem,  a  position  corresponding  with  that  part  of  the 
Kedron  valley  which  is  below  the  king’s  valley,  since, 
according  to  Josephus,  the  Mount  of  Olives  was  six  stadia 
distant  from  the  city.  Williams  holds1  the  monolith  which 
bears  the  name  of  Absalom  to  be  the  one  originally  raised  by 
the  rebellious  aspirant  for  the  crown,  and  traces  its  external 
ornaments  to  the  later  hand  of  some  Idumsean  prince ;  and 
even  Wilson2  thinks  that  the  primitive  form  is  from  the  old 
Jewish  times,  afterwards  modified  and  made  more  elegant 
by  the  addition  of  the  refinements  of  modern  art.  Yet 
although  we  must  confess  that  it  is  hardly  to  be  admitted 
that  this  monument  dates  back  so  far  as  the  time  of  David, 
and  grant  that  it  is  the  product  of  the  period  when  Idu- 
msean  power  was  largely  influential  in  Palestine,  it  must  be 
allowed  that  there  was  some  ground  conceded  by  Josephus 
for  the  Jewish  legend,  and  some  valid  reason  for  the  Jews  to 
continue  to  give  it  the  name  of  Absalom.  The  first  mention 
of  the  place  by  the  pilgrim  writers  is  that  made  by  Benjamin 
of  Tudela,3  who  does  not  call  it  the  grave,  but  the  monument 
of  Absalom.  He  also  alludes  to  the  grave  of  king  Uzziah 
as  being  close  by.  The  Burdigala  pilgrim  speaks  in  333  of 
two  monolithic  monuments  standing  in  the  same  neighbour¬ 
hood,  and  calls  them  the  graves  of  the  prophet  Isaiah  and  of 
king  Hezekiah.  The  statements  of  subsequent  pilgrims  are 
exceedingly  confused.  The  Arabs  of  the  present  day  call 
Absalom’s  grave  Tantur  Faraon,4  i.e.  the  Horn  of  Pharaoh. 

The  so-called  grave  of  Jehoshaphat,5  which,  like  the  last 

1  Williams,  Holy  City ,  ii.  p.  456. 

2  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  i.  p.  488. 

3  Benj.  v.  Tudela,  ed.  Asher,  i.  p.  71. 

4  Wolcott,  in  Bib.  Sacra ,  1843,  p.  34. 

5  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  350 ;  Ivrafft,  Topog.  p.  201  ;  Williams, 
Holy  City ,  ii.  pp.  449,  451. 


THE  NECROPOLIS  AROUND  JERUSALEM.  175 


mentioned,  is  a  monolith,  is  ascribed  by  the  Jewish  tradition 
to  the  pious  king  of  that  name  ;  but  we  learn  from  1  Kings 
xxii.  51  that  he  was  buried  with  his  fathers  on  Mount  Zion. 
A  three-cornered  gable  crowns  the  entrance  to  several  rock 
chambers  with  niches,  whose  walls  bear  traces  of  ancient 
fresco  pictures  of  saints. 

In  the  second  of  the  chambers,  of  which  Tobler  gives  four 
or  five,  Krafft  found  twelve  obituary  stones  of  Jews  ranged 
regularly  upon  the  floor,  and  probably  still  used.  It  was 
here  that  in  the  winter  of  1842-43  the  parchment  roll  con¬ 
joined  with  the  Hebrew  Pentateuch  was  found,  which  at 
first  attracted  great  attention,  and  which  was  sent  to  the 
library  of  the  Vatican,  where  it  was  judged  by  Schultz1  to  be 
a  modern  manuscript  in  Babeli  characters.  The  Jews  have 
the  custom,  he  says,  of  hiding  away  every  roll  of  the  law 
that  seems  to  be  in  the  least  injured ;  and  this  seems  to  have 
been  the  case  with  this  roll  recently  discovered. 

Between  these  sepulchral  monuments  and  the  Kedron  is 
the  present  burial-place  of  the  Jews,  bearing  the  name  the 
House  of  Life.2  Between  this  and  the  middle  summit  of 
the  Mount  of  Olives,  about  half-way  up  the  declivity,  and 
about  a  hundred  paces  south  of  the  Chapel  of  the  Ascension, 
belonging  to  the  Latins,  lies  a  separate  burial-place  known 
as  the  graves  of  the  prophets,  the  Kubur  el  Umbia3  of  the 
Arabs,  regarding  whose  origin,  and  the  reason  of  its  unique 
internal  arrangement,  we  know  very  little.  The  entrance  is 
on  the  north-west  side  to  a  round  subterranean  vestibule, 
from  which  you  pass  to  two  concentric  semicircular  passages, 
provided  with  countless  niches,  hewn  out  of  the  soft  lime¬ 
stone.  Other  less  regular  passages  run  deeper  into  the 
mountain,  and  form  a  miniature  labyrinth,  of  which  the 
lowest  parts  are  full  of  rubbish  and  earth,  and  hard  to  trace. 
They  have  probably  been  examined  with  care  by  Tobler. 
The  comparison  of  this  monument  with  the  Peristereon  of 

1  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  i.  p.  489. 

2  Williams,  Holy  City ,  ii.  p.  452. 

3  Schultz,  Jerusalem ,  pp.  41,  72;  Williams,  Holy  City ,  ii.  p.  447. 
Comp,  sketches  in  Tohler,  and  Krafft,  Topoy.  p.  202. 


176 


PALESTINE. 


Josephus,  and  with  a  columbarium  (according  to  Krafft  and 
Schultz),  is  shown  by  Robinson  to  rest  on  no  satisfactory 
grounds.  The  description  which  Wolcott  gives  of  the  interior 
is  the  following.1  Through  an  opening  in  the  rock  above, 
you  descend  into  a  semicircular  chamber  in  the  rock,  about 
twenty  feet  in  diameter,  with  an  arched  roof  :  to  this  there  is 
a  side  entrance.  Two  passage-ways  go  out  from  this  cham¬ 
ber  ;  a  third  one  appears  to  be  closed  up  :  the  two  which  are 
open  extend  for  thirty  feet.  Between  them  two  concentric 
passages  form  galleries,  an  inner  one  and  an  outer  one. 
These  would  be,  were  they  free  from  dirt  and  earth,  ten  feet 
high  and  six  feet  wide :  they  are  arched,  and  overlaid  with 
stucco.  The  outer  gallery  has  a  length  of  a  hundred  and 
fifteen  feet,  with  thirty-two  niches,  and  two  small  chambers 
with  six  niches.  A  narrow  excavation  leads  down  from  the 
northernmost  passage,  and  ends,  after  extending  on  for  a 
distance  of  more  than  a  hundred  feet,  in  a  clayey  soft  soil, 
which  was  the  reason,  it  may  be,  why  the  galleries  were  not 
carried  farther.  The  hypothesis  that  that  singular  labyrinth 
wras  a  temple  of  Baal  has  no  other  basis  than  the  conical 
arch  of  the  circular  vestibule  ;  and  not  less  unsatisfactory  is 
the  theory  which  makes  it  the  sepulchres  which  the  Pharisees 
erected  in  honour  of  the  prophets  whom  they  had  stoned 
(Luke  xi.  47).2 

o.  The  Burial-places  in  the  northern  part  of  the  Valley  of 
Jehoshaphat ,  and  on  the  north  side  of  Jerusalem. 

In  the  northern  part  of  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  the 
graves  and  tombs  continue  on  in  an  unbroken  series  around 
the  north-eastern,  northern,  and  north-west  portions  of  the 
city,  as  far  as  to  Scopus,  whose  waters  flow  into  the  Kedron, 
running  over  the  Nab  ulus  road.  In  part  they  have  been 
changed  by  later  quarrying  operations  to  great  holes  and 

1  "Wolcott,  in  Bib.  Sacra ,  1813,  pp.  36,  37. 

2  In  addition  to  what  is  given  here,  the  student  should  not  fail  to 
consult  the  later  pages  of  the  American  Barclay,  the  French  cle  Saulcy, 
and  the  Swiss  Tobler,  all  of  wdioru  have  diligently  studied  the  graves 
north  of  the  city. — Ed. 


THE  NECROPOLIS  AROUND  JERUSALEM.  177 


stone-pits,  and  have  become  unrecognisable  as  graves;  in 
part  they  have  been  grown  over  with  low  stunted  bushes, 
and  have  gained  thereby  in  artistic  beauty  ;  and  in  part  they 
have  been  allowed  to  become  reservoirs  for  water.  The 
most  distant  and  the  most  remarkable  group  of  these  burial- 
places  is  one  lying  a  half-hour’s  distance  north  of  the  Damas¬ 
cus  gate,  at  the  height  of  the  watershed  which  supplies  the 
Kedron,  and  at  the  place  where  the  path  begins  to  descend 
towards  the  Beit  Hanina.  It  bears  the  name  Tombs  of  the 
Judges.  The  whole  neighbourhood,  the  beginning  of  the 
slope  towards  the  Mediterranean,  is  thickly  sown  with  graves. 
Those  to  which  I  particularly  allude  are  remarkable  for  their 
architectural  decorations,  and  for  their  inner  arrangements, 
and  remind  one  of  the  fine  catacombs  of  Egypt.1  Tobler  has 
taken  a  sketch  of  them,  according  to  which  there  seems  to  be 
first  a  vestibule,  then  a  large  central  chamber  with  three  or 
four  side  chambers,  in  which  he  counted  sixty-eight  niches. 
The  portal  at  the  entrance  is  remarkable,  like  that  leading  to 
the  tomb  of  Jehoshaphat,  for  its  rich  decorations.  The  place 
has  been  considered  to  be  the  burial-place  of  members  of  the 
Sanhedrim,  because  their  number  (seventy)  so  well  agrees 
with  the  number  of  the  niches ;  others  have  held  it  to  be  the 
tombs  of  the  righteous  mentioned  in  Matt,  xxiii.  29,  where 
the  hypocrisy  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  vras  made  espe¬ 
cially  manifest.  The  place  is  not  mentioned  in  the  legends 
till  the  sixteenth  century.  The  Graves  of  the  Judges,  as 
they  are  generally  called,  are  reputed  among  the  Jews  to  be 
especially  holy ;  the  tract  around  them  is  very  attractive. 

The  tomb  of  Simon  the  Just  (Kaber  Sadik  Simun), 
farther  towards  the  south-east,  lies  in  the  midst  of  the  broad 
valley  of  the  upper  Kedron,  known  as  Wadi  ed  Jos.  It  is  a 
place  of  much  resort  for  the  Jew's  on  the  thirty-third  day 
after  Easter,  as  they  repair  thither  to  celebrate  the  memory 
of  the  son  of  Onias,  who  was  high  priest  at  the  time  of  the 
Egyptian  supremacy  of  Ptolemy  Soter. 

The  catacomb  of  Queen  Plelena  of  Adiabene,  which  lies 
directly  south  of  the  one  last  named,  on  an  adjacent  plateau 
1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  240,  209 ;  Krafft,  Topog.  p.  204. 

YOL.  IV. 


178 


PALESTINE. 


of  rock,  and  which  is  mentioned  by  all  travellers,  is  often 
known,  but  incorrectly,  as  Robinson1  has  shown,  by  the  name 
Tombs  of  the  Kings,2 — an  appellation  which  only  comes  into 
rise  among  the  pilgrims  of  the  sixteenth  century.  The  oldest 
visitors  to  the  Holy  Land  do  not  mention  the  place  at  all,  for 
it  was  not  in  the  first  centuries  after  Christ  considered  as  a 
hallowed  resort :  Marin  Sanutus  refers  to  it  a  few  times,  but 
only  casually,  as  a  Sepulchrum  Helena ,  repines  Jabenorum. 
Before  him,  Eusebius  had  said  with  regard  to  Queen  Helena 
that  she  had  erected  some  celebrated  stelae  or  cippi  over  her 
tomb,  which  before  had  been  in  another  part  of  the  environs 
of  the  city.  The  locality  of  this  tomb  is,  however,  stated  with 
great  exactness  to  have  been  on  the  north  side  of  the  city,  in 
the  passage  in  which  he  speaks  of  Paula’s  coming  to  Jeru¬ 
salem  from  the  north,  and  passing  the  tomb  of  Helena  on  the 
left,  i.e.  on  the  east.  The  main  road  over  the  Scopus  is  now 
the  same  that  it  was  then,  and  the  situation  is  defined  clearly 
by  these  few  words.  Pausanias  gives  another  proof  of  the 
identity  of  this  monument :  he  speaks  particularly  of  the 
remarkably  fine  stone  doors  of  the  tomb,  and  compares  it  to 
that  of  Mausolus  in  Caria.  This  catacomb  of  Helena  lies 
about  a  quarter  of  an  hour’s  distance  north  of  the  Damascus 
gate,  on  the  right  of  the  Nablus  road,  where  it  begins  to  run 
down  into  the  Kedron  valley.  Two  great  square  courts, 
open  at  the  top,  are  sunk  eighteen  feet  into  the  rock,  of  which 
the  longer  or  more  eastern  one  forms  the  vestibule  to  the 
second.  These  two  courts  serve  as  reminders  of  the  graves 
of  private  citizens  as  well  as  of  priests  at  Thebes.  The 
passage  from  the  outer  to  the  inner  one  is  under  a  portal, 
which  formerly  rested  upon  two  pillars,  which  are  now  broken 
down,  as  well  as  the  pilasters  at  their  side.  Yet  the  whole  of 
the  horizontal  piece  above  remains  entire,  and  is  supported 
at  the  ends :  its  length  is  twenty-seven  feet.  The  pillars 
which  formerly  supported  it  divided  the  passage-way  into 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Researches,  i.  p.  357  et  sq.  See  Catherwood’s 
Sketches.  Corap.  also  Williams,  Holy  City ,  vol.  ii.  p.  519. 

2  Krafft,  Topog.  pp.  211-217  ;  Bartlett,  Walks ,  etc.,  pp.  127-132  ; 
Roberts,  Book  i. ;  Christian  in  Palestine,  p.  153,  Tab.  li. 


THE  NECROPOLIS  AROUND  JERUSALEM.  179 


three  tolerably  equal  compartments.  The  frieze  above  is 
remarkable  for  its  fine  sculpture,  which  reminds  the  observer 
of  similar  forms  in  W&di  Musa :  great  bunches  of  grapes 
between  flowers  and  garlands,  and  fruits,  and  horns  of  plenty, 
are  found  along  the  whole  length  of  the  portal.  At  the  side, 
too,  there  are  reduced  copies  of  Doric  triglyphs.  The  repre¬ 
sentation  is  not  full,  indeed :  it  lacks  completeness ;  but  the 
impression  left  is  of  a  work  admirably  executed,  and  cor¬ 
responding,  like  the  tombs  already  referred  to  in  the  Valley 
of  Jehoshaphat,  to  the  Herodian  epoch.  At  the  southern 
extremity  of  these  vestibules,  which  are  now  full  of  dirt  and 
fragments  of  stone,  making  it  almost  impossible  for  the 
visitor  to  force  his  way,  two  passages  lead  to  a  rock  chamber 
in  the  south,  and  one  to  a  similar  apartment  in  the  west,  from 
both  of  which  several  other  passages  diverge  and  lead  to  other 
chambers,  giving  the  whole  a  truly  catacomb-like  aspect. 
These  are  all  supplied  with  niches,  to  receive  the  bodies  of 
the  dead.  Robinson  and  others  have  described  the  ruins 
minutely.  They  belong  unquestionably  to  a  tomb  intended 
for  royal  personages,  though  their  interior  presents  nothing 
now  but  a  bare,  tasteless  wall.  The  floor  is  covered,  as  I 
have  just  said,  with  fragments  of  rock  and  with  dirt.  The 
passages  from  the  vestibules  have  attracted  much  attention 
from  antiquarians,  because  they  were  once  closed  by  stone 
doors  with  hewn  panels :  these  were  closed  from  within. 
They  are  now  broken,  and  their  fragments  strew  the  floors. 
At  the  time  of  Maundrell’s  visit  (1697),  one  of  these  doors 
was  still  hanging  on  its  stone  hinges,  which  were  fastened1 
into  the  natural  rock — the  same  kind  of  stone,  indeed,  out  of 
which  the  great  side  door  was  made,  which  he  has  described 
as  a  great  curiosity  to  him.  Towards  a  solution  of  the 
problem  how  these  doors  were  arranged,  he  noticed  that  the 
upper  hinges  are  of  twice  the  length  of  the  lower  ones,  and 
that  the  lower  door  did  not  touch  the  under  sill,  but  was 
two  inches  above  it,  making  it  plain  how  the  door  would  play 
freely.  In  one  of  the  innermost  and  lowest  rooms  there  are 
three  great  niches  at  the  side,  in  which  sarcophagi  of  white 
1  Maundrell,  Journey  from  Aleppo  to  Jerusalem ,  p.  77. 


180 


PALESTINE. 


marble  once  stood,  adorned  with  beautiful  carved  work.  The 
fragments  now  strew  the  floor,  and  show  that  there  was  the 
place  of  the  greatest  honour — the  room  appropriated  to  the 
heads  of  the  family  owning  the  tomb.  The  magnificence  of 
this  sepulchral  monument,  although  not  vying  with  those 
of  Greece,  caused  the  belief  to  be  long  prevalent,  that  this 
was  the  resting-place  of  the  kings  of  Israel.  Although  it  is 
probable  that  there  was  no  such  extended  use  of  the  word 
Zion  as  would  warrant  us  in  accepting  this  view,  yet  it  has 
so  far  found  credence,  that  these  catacombs  north  of  the  city 
have  been  very  generally  visited  by  pilgrims  as  the  tombs  of 
the  kings. 

Robinson  has  laid  down  all  the  grounds1  which  he  thinks 
afford  a  reasonable  degree  of  certainty  (despite  the  objections 
of  Wilson,  which  seem  rather  trivial)  that  this  was  the  tomb 
of  Queen  Helena,  wife  of  King  Monobazus  of  Adiabene, 
who,  having  gone  over  with  her  son  Izates  to  Judaism,  lived 
in  Jerusalem,  and  built  a  mausoleum  there.  Josephus  speaks 
three  times  of  it,  and  in  his  account  he  states  that  it  lay  three 
stadia  distant  from  the  city,  and  opposite  the  north  gate, 
which  agrees  with  the  distance,  and  the  position  of  the  tomb 
now  to  be  seen.  He  also  states  that  the  mausoleum  was 
crowned  with  three  pyramids.  These,  which  seem  to  have 
been  similar  in  appearance  to  those  which  are  to  be  seen  at 
Petra,  have  long  since  been  thrown  down  ;  yet  traces  of  their 
existence  are  to  be  seen  in  the  three  divisions  of  the  main 
portal  already  spoken  of,  to  each  one  of  which  a  pyramid 
probably  corresponded.  Each  one  of  these  was  erected,  it 
would  seem,  in  honour  of  one  of  the  royal  family;  and  the 
three  marble  sarcophagi  already  spoken  of  appear  to  have 
been  reserved  for  the  father,  mother,  and  son.  We  know, 
moreover,  that  the  seven  heads  of  the  Maccabee  family  were 
designated  by  seven  pyramids.  We  have,  in  addition  to  this 
body  of  evidence,  the  fact  that  Pausanias  makes  a  very 
laudatory  allusion  to  the  tomb  of  Helena,  comparing  it  to 
that  of  Mausolus  at  Caria,  and  stating  that  these  two  are  the 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  610,  Note  xxix.  ;  comp.  Wilson, 
Lands  of  the  Bible ,  i.  p.  428. 


THE  NECROPOLIS  AROUND  JERUSALEM.  181 


finest  that  lie  had  ever  seen.  He  makes  particular  mention 
of  the  doors  of  solid  stone,  and  of  the  mechanism  by  means 
of  which  they  were  moved,  although  in  this  his  praise  seems 
to  have  been  a  little  exaggerated.  The  Jews  of  the  present 
day,  according  to  Krafft,  consider  this  to  be  the  grave  of  a 
very  wealthy  and  benevolent  Jew,  Kolba  Sebuah,  who  is 
often  mentioned  in  the  Talmud;  unquestionably  a  later 
tradition,  but  perhaps  conveying1  a  remote  hint  and  faint 
remembrance  of  the  liberality  of  Queen  Helena,  of  whose 
large  gifts  to  the  Jews  of  Jerusalem  Josephus  speaks  in 
warm  eulogy. 

Of  the  cave  of  Jeremiah,  lying  south-east  of  the  tomb  of 
Helena,  very  little  is  known  with  any  certainty.2  It  seems  as 
though  it  must  have  been  originally  intended  as  a  resting- 
place  for  the  dead,  although  its  appearance  is  rather  that  of 
a  stone  quarry.  Being  now  used  as  a  Mohammedan  burying- 
place,  it  has  not  been  examined  with  great  care.  There  is 
much  probability  that  in  this  so-called  cave  of  Jeremiah,  in 
which  name  there  is  no  allusion  whatever  to  the  prophet,  we 
are  to  look  for  the  monument  of  Herod,  which  Josephus 
speaks  of  in  three  different  places,  and  which  he  locates 
between  the  tomb  of  Helena  and  the  fuller’s  grave.  This 
Herod  is  probably  the  builder  of  the  third  wall,  Herod 
Agrippa,  after  whom  also  the  Bab  es  Zahary,  the  Porta 
Villas  Fullonis  of  the  middle  ages,  received  its  name  of, 
Herod’s  Gate.  Many  other  monumental  remains  are  to  be 
still  seen  north  of  the  city,  but  I  will  close  my  account  with 
those  already  described. 

DISCURSION  VII. 

TIIE  CLIMATE  AND  THE  SOIL,  THE  PLANTS  AND  THE  ANIMALS,  OF  JERUSALEM, 

JUDAEA,  AND  PALESTINE. 

Regarding  the  natural  history  of  Jerusalem  and  its 
neighbourhood,  our  information  is  at  present  scanty Ob- 

1  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible,  i.  p.  427. 

2  Krafft,  Topog.  pp.  217-219. 

8  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  428  et  sq. 


182 


PALESTINE. 


servers  have  thus  far  confined  their  researches  to  what  pertains 
to  and  illustrates  the  study  of  man,  and  have  paid  little  heed 
to  other  matters  which  have  great  interest  in  themselves,  and 
which  tend  not  a  little  to  throw  light  upon  the  past. 

The  elevation  of  the  city  some  thousands  of  feet  above 
the  Mediterranean,  as  well  as  above  the  valley  of  the  Jordan 
and  the  level  of  the  Dead  Sea,  must  contribute  much  to 
lessen  the  temperature  beyond  that  enjoyed  by  places  not 
far  distant.  Yon  Schubert1  gives  the  mean  temperature 
of  Jerusalem  as  about  13^°  Reaumur,  which  is  not  so  high 
as  that  of  Naples.  Although  Jerusalem  lies  in  the  same 
parallel  with  Morocco,  the  palm,  though  growing  very  tall, 
brings  no  fruit  to  perfection.  The  slirub-like  cotton  plant 
and  other  tropical  growths  which  flourish  in  the  neighbour¬ 
hood  of  Jericho  do  not  thrive  here  ;  but,  on  the  other  hand, 
at  Jerusalem,  as  at  Bethlehem  and  Hebron,  there  is  produced 
a  fiery  wine,  like  that  made  on  the  Greek  islands  and  on  the 
west  coast  of  Asia  Minor,  which  have  a  climate  like  that 
of  the  mountain-land  of  Judaea,  notwithstanding  their  more 
northern  situation.  The  olive  tree,  the  fig,  the  walnut,  and 
the  pistachio,  have  their  true  home  here,  and  yield  their  fruit 
in  abundance.  The  coolness  of  the  winter-time  projects 
itself  into  the  spring,  and  the  heat  of  summer  into  the 
autumn,  more  markedly  than  in  districts  farther  west.  The 
mean  summer  temperature  von  Schubert  estimated  as  from 
23°  to  24°  Reaumur,  but  it  sometimes  rose  as  high  as  32° — a 
dry,  parching  heat.  Even  the  nights,  with  their  prevailing 
east  and  south-east  winds,  bring  little  relief ;  and  the  crusaders 
used  to  complain  bitterly  of  the  discomfort,  and  to  seek  pro¬ 
tection  in  the  caverns  and  pits,  there  being  a  great  and 
universal  want  of  shade.  The  cold  north  winds  of  winter, 
on  the  contrary,  make  the  use  of  furs  very  comfortable. 

At  Easter  the  ground  is  generally  covered  with  the  young 
green  corn  and  grass.  In  May  the  heavens  are  cloudless  ;  at 
the  end  of  the  Egyptian  Chamsin  touches  of  this  hot  wind 
are  felt  as  far  north  as  the  Mount  of  Olives.  Early  in  June 
the  wheat  and  barley  harvest  begins,  and  then  follows  the 

1  Yon  Schubert,  Reise ,  iii.  p.  104 ;  Schultz,  Jerusalem ,  pp.  27,  28. 


CLIMATE  AND  SOIL  OF  JERUSALEM. 


183 


fierce  summer  beat.  With  the  rise  of  the  Nile  in  August 
there  are  seen  in  Judeea  thin  fleecy  clouds  coming  up  from 
the  south-west,  and  floating  high  above  Jerusalem :  a  heavy 
dew  then  falls,  refreshing  indeed,  but  too  late  to  do  much 
good.  During  September  and  October  the  land  longs  for 
rain  ;  the  heat  of  the  autumn  months  is  very  great.  In 
October  the  first  drops  fall,  to  the  great  relief  of  the  land ; 
then  follow  the  periodical  and  very  heavy  rains,  continuing 
on  until  December.  Everything  then  is  beautiful  and  green, 
though  the  last  month  of  the  year  is  often  wet  and  cold. 
Still,  as  a  general  rule,  Christmas-time  is  one  of  the  most 
delightful  of  the  whole  year,  and  January  a  genuine  spring 
month.  It  has  to  yield,  however,  to  the  cold  and  the  storms 
of  February  and  March,  after  which  we  have  a  second 
spring.  It  must  not  be  denied,  however,  that  a  considerable 
degree  of  cold  is  sometimes  experienced  in  January,  just  as 
is  the  case  in  Rome  ;  but  in  both  places,  Judaea  and  Rome, 
snow  is  not  at  all  permanent,  and  ice  is  rarely  formed.  The 
distant  mountains,  however,  are  often  seen  for  days  together 
capped  with  white.  This  is  the  period  when  all  the  cisterns 
and  reservoirs  of  the  city  must  be  supplied  with  water  for  the 
next  six  months.  The  last  months  of  the  year  are  therefore 
the  most  unfavourable  for  a  visit  to  Judaea. 

The  universally  distributed  limestone,  with  the  beds  of 
chalk  which  underlie  it,  are  the  components  of  the  soil  imme¬ 
diately  around  Jerusalem.  Among  the  masses  of  these  two 
are  often  found  ferruginous  red  strata,  enclosing  encrinites  : 
they  lie  very  deep,  and  reappear  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Jordan  and  the  Dead  Sea,  and  may  be  traced  as  high  as  the 
tops  of  the  highest  of  the  mountains  there.  Marl,  and  a 
loam  admirably  adapted  to  tillage,  according  to  Bove,  are 
found  in  the  most  sunken  hollows,  and  richly  reward  cultiva¬ 
tion.  Sand  districts  seem  to  be  entirely  lacking,  and  von 
Schubert  states  that  he  first  met  them  beyond  the  Lebanon. 
Everywhere  there  is  an  abundant  supply  of  holes  and  caverns,1 
which  may  perhaps  partly  account  for  the  fact  that  Palestine 
has  suffered  less  from  earthquakes  than  the  neighbouring 
1  Von  Schubert,  Reise,  iii.  p.  110  ;  Schultz,  Reise,  p.  140. 


184 


PALESTINE. 


countries,  where  basalt  and  other  formations  are  more  fre¬ 
quently  met. 

Bove  found,1  in  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  only  a  meagre 
gain  for  his  herbarium  ;  for  the  late  months  of  spring,  them¬ 
selves  dry,  were  followed  by  intense  heat,  which  burnt  up 
every  living  thing.  Notwithstanding  this,  however,  he  found 
in  the  dense  shade  of  the  olive  and  fis;  trees  of  Aceldama, 
many  varieties  of  plants ;  and  the  King’s  Garden  yielded 
abundant  returns  of  cabbage,  parsley,  artichokes,  melons  with 
a  green  meat  (the  Maltese  variety),  pumpkins,  cucumbers, 
aromatic  shrubs ;  and  fruits,  mainly  pomegranates,  plums, 
apples,  pears,  cherries,  figs,  mulberries,  jujubes,  and  pistachio 
nuts.  Where  there  is  a  supply  of  water,  there  is  an  ample 
harvest. 

Scholtz  has  given2  the  indigenous  Arabic  names  of  many 
plants  which  he  found  in  Palestine  ;  but  he  has  not  coupled 
them  with  the  terms  recognised  in  systematic  botany.  Von 
Rammer,  following  Rosenmuller,  Kloden,  von  Schubert,  and 
others,  has  given  an  instructive  catalogue  of  the  plants  in 
their  relation  to  the  Bible.’3  I  follow  von  Schubert,4  however, 
not  only  as  a  contemporary  observer,  but  as  one  who  has  done 
the  great  service  of  retaining  with  strict  care  the  Arabic 
names. 

The  olive  tree,  according  to  von  Schubert,  was,  and  is 
still,  the  prince  among  the  trees  of  the  country  :  it  seems  to 
have  its  natural  home  here  ;  for  seldom  are  very  old  olives 
met  which  yield  so  good  an  oil  as  those  of  this  district.  When 
the  Koran  swears  by  the  fig  and  the  olive,  it  is  as  if  it  swore 
by  Damascus  and  Jerusalem. 

The  fig  tree  is  universal,  but  is  found  in  its  greatest  pro¬ 
fusion  around  Jabrut,  a  day’s  distance  from  the  Jewish 
capital,  and  on  the  hills  of  Bir  and  Sinjil.  As  one  goes 
towards  Samaria,  tracts  are  seen  so  extensive,  that  the  eye 

1  Bove,  Naturaliste,  Recit.,  in  Bulletin  de  la  Soc.  Geogr.  Paris ,  1835, 
T.  iii.  p.  383. 

2  Scholtz,  Reise ,  p.  140. 

3  Yon  Raumer,  Pal.  pp.  85-91. 

4  Yon  Schubert,  Reise,  iii.  pp.  112-117. 


CLIMATE  AND  SOIL  OF  JERUSALEM. 


185 


cannot  take  them  all  in  at  once  :  the  fruit  (Tin  Bershuwy, 
to  distinguish  it  from  Tin  Jimmayz,  the  sycamore  fig;  Tin 
Serafendi,  the  Zyziphus  fig  ;  and  Tin  Shuke,  the  Opuntia 
fig)  is  remarkable  for  its  delicate  aromatic  flavour,  but  it  is 
smaller  than  the  fig  of  Smyrna. 

The  vine  is  met  only  in  a  few  places.  As  in  Hebron,  so 
all  through  Palestine,  its  cultivation  is  accompanied  with  the 
preparation  of  dibs  and  wine  :  that  made  in  the  Lebanon 
keeps  longer  than  that  of  any  other  part  of  the  country. 

The  almond  tree  ( Loz )  blossoms  before  the  commence¬ 
ment  of  the  cold  days  of  February;  around  Bethlehem  and 
Hebron,  however,  not  till  March,  when  also  the  apricots, 
apples,  and  pears  bloom.  The  purple  blossom  of  the  pome¬ 
granate  comes  later,  and  is  contemporaneous  with  the  white 
vesture  of  the  myrtle  :  later  still  we  have  the  rose,  the  fragrant 
jessamine,  etc. 

The  lofty  cypress  is  cultivated  around  Jerusalem  only  in 
gardens ;  the  azerole  grows  wild  in  the  hills  ;  as  do  also  the 
walnut,  the  arbutus,  the  laurel,  the  pistachio,  the  terebinth, 
and  the  evergreen  oak.  Besides  these,  we  have  varieties  of 
the  Bhamnus,  juniper,  thymelaea,  firs  on  the  hill- tops,  the 
sycamore  and  carob  tree,  the  mulberry  and  opuntia,  gene¬ 
rally  growing  on  slopes  and  in  hollows.  The  two  last  men¬ 
tioned  have  been  but  recently  introduced.  Oranges  and 
citrons  are  very  seldom  to  be  seen  in  gardens. 

Of  the  cereals,1  there  are  many  varieties  in  several  parts 
of  the  land,  but  especially  upon  the  plain  of  Jezreel,  and  on 
the  uplands  of  Galilee,  growing  in  great  profusion :  probably 
only  the  wild  successors  of  the  grains  once  regularly  raised 
in  those  places  :  proofs,  says  von  Schubert,  of  the  remarkable 
fertility  of  Palestine  at  a  former  day,  and  its  admirable 
adaptation  to  corn.  On  the  roads  to  Nazareth  and  Nablus, 
Hanel2  found  wild  oats  growing  in  abundance.  Besides 
wheat  and  barley,  von  Schubert  found  among  these  wild 
crops,  rye,  in  appearance  very  like  that  of  Germany  :  he  fell 
in  with  the  latter  mainly  on  the  slopes  of  Tabor  and  on 

1  Yon  Schubert,  Reise ,  iii.  pp.  115,  201. 

2  G.  Hanel,  in  Zeitscli.  d.  deutscli.  Morgenl.  Ges.  ii.  p.  432. 


186 


PALESTINE. 


Esdraelon,  and  found  that  it  outstripped  in  height  even  the 
bearded  wheat.  The  occasional  spots  which  are  now  tilled 
with  any  care,  and  rescued  from  the  waste  which  everywhere 
prevails,  are  sown  with  the  common  Egyptian  varieties  of 
grain  :  summer  millet  (dura  gaydi),  the  common  millet  (dura 
sayfa),  the  autumn  millet  (dura  dimiri),  together  with  varie¬ 
ties  of  Holcus  sorghum.  Wheat  (kumh),  spelt,  and  barley 
(shay-in)  flourish  everywhere.  Among  leguminous  plants, 
we  have  the  chick  pea,  or  hommos  (cicer  arietinum),  the 
Egyptian  bean,  the  fuhl  (vicia  faba),  the  gishungaya  (Pha- 
seolus  mungo),  the  gilban  (Lathyrus  sativus),  lentiles,  abs, 
and  peas  (bisfilleh). 

Among  the  vegetables,  the  varieties  of  the  tubiscus  stand 
pre-eminent,  especially  the  great  favourite  bamia  towileh 
(Plibiscus  esculentus),  bamia  beledi,  and  wayka  (Hib. 
prsecox).  Potatoes  (kolkas  franshi)  are  only  here  and  there 
cultivated,  and  then  by  the  Franks.  Lettuce  (khus)  and  arti¬ 
chokes  (karshuk)  are  very  often  met  in  the  convents :  those 
raised1  in  the  King’s  Garden  are  of  especial  excellence,  and 
are  not  to  be  confounded  with  the  Jerusalem  artichoke, 
which  is  Helianthus  tuberosus,  and  is  known  also  as  gira 
sole.  The  water-melon  (batikh)  and  the  cucumber  (kliiar) 
grow  in  moist  places.  Flax  (etam)  is  little  attended  to  ; 
hemp  (bust)  is  more  ;  cotton  (qotn)  as  well  as  madder  are 
cultivated  in  favourable  localities  :  neither  of  these,  however, 
do  well  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Jerusalem,  but  require  a  less 
elevated  position.  Where  we  leave  the  few  well-watered 
lowland  tracts,  and  come  to  the  higher  and  dryer  regions,  we 
meet  an  abundance  of  aromatic  shrubs,  such  as  the  Syrian 
marjoram  (Origanum  syriacum),  the  rosemary,  germander 
(Teucrium  ros  marinifolium,  not  the  T.  creticum,  as  was 
formerly  supposed),  and  many  other  fragrant  plants  of  similar 
character.  On  the  dry  Mount  of  Olives  the  pilgrims  are  in 
the  habit  of  collecting  the  little  blood-immortelle  (Gnaphalium 
sanguineum)  :  from  Carmel  and  Lebanon  they  carry  away 
with  them  the  great  eastern  immortelle  (orientale).  The 
Gnaphalium  sanguineum,  also  known  as  the  blood-drops  of 
1  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  p.  83. 


CLIMATE  AND  SOIL  OF  JERUSALEM. 


187 


Jesus,  is  not  found  in  Egypt,  but  is  entirely  peculiar  to 
Palestine  ;  it  is  a  flower  of  remarkable  beauty,1  very  similar 
in  appearance  to  the  yellow  Gnaph.  arenarium  of  Germany, 
only  the  parchment-like  leaves  are  not  golden-yellow,  but 
blood-red  :  the  time  of  their  blooming  is  in  May.  The 
splendour  of  the  varieties  of  lilies,  tulips,  hyacinths,  nar¬ 
cissus,  anemones,  is  a  particular  charm  of  the  spring-time  : 
even  the  wdld  leek  flowerets  are  not  devoid  of  a  certain 
beauty.  The  fruit  of  the  mandrake  of  Palestine  (Mandra- 
gora  autumnalis)  is  in  request  among  the  oriental  Christians, 
as  well  as  among  the  Mohammedans,  because  in  the  neighbour¬ 
hood  of  Jerusalem  it  is  invested  with  a  certain  great  potency. 
It  is  rarely  met  here,  however,  but  is  far  more  common 
south  of  Hebron,  and  around  Tabor  and  Carmel.  The 
upland  flora  of  Palestine  cannot  be  compared  with  that  in 
the  lower  valley  of  the  Jordan,  from  the  Dead  Sea  up  to  the 
source  of  the  river  in  the  Anti-Lebanon, — a  short  distance, 
but  one  in  which,  according  to  von  Schubert,2  more  varieties 
of  plants  can  be  seen  within  the  course  of  a  few  days  than  in 
most  other  parts  of  the  world  would  require  months  to  reach. 

The  statements  of  von  Schubert0  relate  not  to  Jerusalem 
alone,  which  in  itself  offers  but  a  limited  field,  although  its 
neighbourhood  may  afford  something  of  value  relating  to  the 
fauna  of  Palestine. 

Despite  the  abundant  patches' of  grass,  beef  cattle  are 
seen  but  seldom  :  the  bullock  in  the  parts  around  Jerusalem 
is  small  and  ugly-looking  :  veal  and  beef  are  not  often  eaten. 
In  the  upper  Jordan  valley,  on  the  Tabor,  and  around  Naza¬ 
reth,  the  bullock  thrives  better,  and  still  better  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Jordan,  and  towards  Damascus.  The  buffalo 
(Gamus)  is  found  very  unfrequently  along  the  sea-shore  :  in 
size  and  strength  he  is  very  similar  to  the  Egyptian  variety ; 
but  the  number  of  these  is  very  small,  when  we  take  into 
account  the  amount  of  pasturage,  though  in  the  upper 
Jordan  valley  they  are  numerous.  The  heavy  taxes  upon 
large  cattle  prevent  the  raising  of  them  :  the  herds  of  sheep 

1  Sieber,  lleise ,  p.  32. 

2  Yon  Schubert,  Reise ,  iii.  p.  116.  3  Ibid.  pp.  117-121. 


188 


PALESTINE. 


and  goats  not  being  subject  to  heavy  rates,  are  much  larger. 
The  native  sheep  of  Palestine  show  a  tendency  to  fat  tails. 
The  hair  of  the  long-eared  goat  of  Syria  is  tolerably  fine,  but 
appears  to  be  inferior  to  that  of  some  of  the  varieties  of 
Asia  Minor.  Of  stags,  von  Schubert  met  with  but  one 
variety  :  he  saw  it  near  Tabor,  and  not  far  from  the  spot 
where  Idasselquist,  nearly  a  hundred  years  before,  had  ob¬ 
served  it.  On  the  other  hand,  there  are  several  kinds  of 
antelopes.  The  training  of  camels  is  only  made  a  thing  of 
importance  in  the  Jordan  valley,  on  its  eastern  bank,  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Baalbec,  and  in  the  south  of  Judaea. 
The  rearing  of  horses,  too,  is  much  neglected ;  and  it  is  only 
here  and  there  that  a  fine  Arabian  steed  is  seen.  The  ass  is 
considered  in  Palestine  a  nobler  animal  than  the  horse  ;  and 
so  too  are  the  mule  and  the  donkey,  both  of  which  are  the 
best  creatures  in  traversing  the  wild  mountain  roads  of  the 
land. 

Beasts  of  prey  have  become  very  rare.  The  wild  boar 
(khanzir)  is  only  met  in  the  richly-watered  country  around 
Hermon  and  Tabor,  down  the  Jordan  valley,  and  in  the 
plain  of  Jezreel :  the  lion  (assed)  is  now  only  known  there 
in  untrustworthy  stories  and  traditions :  of  the  common 
panther  (nimr)  there  are  only  faint  indications  here  and 
there :  the  wower  or  wubber  (Ilystrix  syriacus),  the  klipp- 
dachs,  which  makes  its  nest  among  the  rocks  on  both  sides  of 
the  Jordan,  and  particularly  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
Convent  of  St  Saba,  are  not  now  much  seen,  excepting  in  the 
places  indicated  :  the  dog  (abul  hhosseyn)  is  common,  how¬ 
ever  ;  so,  too,  are  the  fox  (taleb),  the  hare  (erneb),  the  jackal 
(dib),  the  great  enemy  of  the  herds,  and  the  porcupine.  The 
hedgehog,  met  near  Bethlehem,  says  von  Schubert,  is  not  the 
long-eared  Egyptian  variety,  but  that  of  Europe  :  the  mole 
and  the  common  rat  are  common.  Bears  are  found  in  the 
Lebanon  and  Anti-Lebanon,  particularly  in  the  neighbour¬ 
hood  of  Damascus ;  but  on  Carmel  they  appear  to  be  extinct. 

Among  the  birds  of  prey,  the  carrion  kite  and  the  common 
kite  (hedy)  are  the  most  numerous.  Flocks  of  pigeons,  very 
different  from  the  European  variety,  are  everywhere  the  in- 


INHABITANTS  OF  JERUSALEM. 


189 


habitants  of  the  caves  and  clefts.  Other  European  birds,  too, 
are  met,  such  as  the  lanner  and  the  crow.  Snakes  are  very 
rare.  The  chameleon  is  met  south  of  Hebron;  and  turtles  are 
not  rare  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Bethlehem — the  same  variety 
which  is  met  at  Rome  and  near  the  Mediterranean.  The 
country  appears  to  be  rich  in  insects,  but  mosquitoes  give 
little  trouble :  the  best  known  of  all  the  insects  of  Palestine, 
says  von  Schubert,  is  the  bee. 


DISCUSSION  VIII. 

THE  INHABITANTS  OF  JERUSALEM — ITS  POPULATION — THE  MOHAMMEDANS — 
THE  ORIENTAL  AND  OCCIDENTAL  CHRISTIANS,  AND  THEIR  SUBORDINATE 
SECTS — THE  JEWS. 

Jerusalem  is  divided  into  several  quarters  (Hareth),  which 
I  have  heretofore  alluded  to:  as  el-Jahud,  or  that  of  the  Jews ; 
el- Arman,  that  of  the  Armenians ;  el-Nussarah,  or  that  of 
the  Christians ;  el-Mugharibeh,  or  that  of  the  Africans,  the 
smallest  of  all ;  and  el-Muslimin,  or  that  of  the  Moslems,  the 
largest  of  all.  These  again  are  subdivided  in  some  cases  into 
various  sects ;  the  Christian  quarter,  for  example,  which  com¬ 
prises  Latins,  Greeks,  Syrians,  Copts,  Abyssinians,  Georgians, 
Maronites,  Nestorians,1  etc.  Only  the  Armenians  are  un¬ 
broken,  for  even  the  Jews’  quarter  is  subdivided  among  the 
Sephardim,  Ashkenazim,  and  Karaites.  When  we  add  to 
these  the  variety  of  people  with  their  manifold  tongues,  from 
all  parts  of  the  world,  who  are  represented  by  these  different 
religious  persuasions — the  Hindoos,2  for  example,  who  form 
a  part  of  the  Moslem  quarter,  and  strictly  adhere  to  their 
national  peculiarities ;  and  when  we  take  into  account  the 
extraordinary  concourse  of  people  who  come  together  at 
Easter  from  India,  from  Persia,  from  Russia,  and  all  Europe, 
even  from  North  America,  it  will  be  seen  that  it  would  be 
hard  to  find  a  place  which  offers  so  great  and  so  numerous 
diversities  of  national  life.  It  must  be  said,  indeed,  that  this 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  418  et  sq. 

2  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  i.  p.  44C. 


190 


PALESTINE. 


is  marked  at  Easter,  as  hinted  just  above;  for  during  the 
greater  part  of  the  year  there  is  little  life  in  the  city  excepting 
what  comes  in  connection  with  the  bazaar:  the  streets  are 
deserted,  and  the  neighbourhood  of  the  city  solitary.  At 
such  times,  were  it  not  for  the  passing  of  peasants  with  their 
laden  asses  over  the  main  roads  to  the  city,  and  for  the 
women  carrying  their  water-skins  to  the  wells  and  reservoirs 
to  get  water,  and  to  give  to  the  flocks  of  sheep  collected  there; 
and  were  it  not  for  the  wdute-veiled  Moslems  wandering 
around  the  graves  of  their  fellow-believers,  or  reposing  in 
groups  upon  them,  the  city  and  the  adjacent  country  would 
be  sunk  in  desolation  and  in  the  stillness  of  death ;  and  the 
only  life  that  would  be  apparent  in  it  would  be  that  which 
centres  in  mosques,  churches,  and  houses  for  the  poor. 

The  number  of  the  population  is,  as  usual  in  the  East,  very 
difficult  to  determine  with  exactness,  and  the  increase  and 
decrease  are  exceedingly  irregular.  Robinson  reckoned  the 
population  of  the  city  to  be  11,000:  4500  Moslems,  includ¬ 
ing  1150  men;  3000  Jews,  including  500  men;  and  3500 
Christians,  including  850  men.  The  number  of  adult  male 
Christians  he  estimated  to  be  composed  of  the  following  subor¬ 
dinate  divisions  :  460  Greeks,  260  Latins,  and  130  Armenians. 
Williams  admits  the  justness  of  Robinson’s  census.1  Schultz, 
who  examined  into  this  matter  with  great  care  some  years 
later,2  reckons  5000  Moslems,  3400  Christians,  and  7120 
Jews ;  in  round  numbers,  some  15,500  souls.  To  these 
must  be  added  the  Turkish  garrison,  1000  strong,  and  some 
hundreds  of  persons  standing  in  connection  with  the  various 
consulates  and  missions,  giving  an  aggregate  of  not  far  from 
17,000.  Among  the  Christians  are  estimated  2000  Greeks, 
who  make  up  here,  as  in  all  Palestine  and  Syria,  the  greater 
number :  there  are,  besides,  900  Roman  Catholics,  350  Arme¬ 
nians,  100  Copts,  20  Syrian,  and  as  many  Abyssinian  Chris¬ 
tians.  There  are  about  600  Jews,  who  are  Turkish  subjects ; 
the  Sephardim  are  mostly  of  Spanish  origin ;  the  other  foreign 
Jews,  generally  Poles  and  Germans,  are  known  as  the  Ash- 

1  Williams,  Holy  City ,  ii.  p.  548,  and  App.  Note  4,  pp.  613,  614. 

2  Schultz,  Jerusalem ,  p.  33. 


INHABITANTS  OF  JERUSALEM. 


193 


kenazim,  and  are  generally  under  the  protection  of  the  various 
consulates.  These  two  divisions,  taken  together,  number 
about  1100.  The  number  of  pilgrims  who  come  together 
at  Easter  is  estimated  at  the  highest  at  10,000 :  in  one  year 
there  were  but  5000,  in  another  but  3000.  The  number  is 
small,  compared  with  that  in  former  years.  The  population 
of  Jerusalem  seems  to  have  been  subject  at  all  periods  to 
great  changes,  owing  to  a  more  or  less  tyrannical  government, 
and  the  spread  of  the  plague.  Only  eight  patrician  or  effendi 
families  now  claim  to  trace  their  genealogy  back  to  the  com¬ 
panions  of  Saladin,  while  among  the  Jews  there  is  not  a 
single  old  family..  The  Christians  who  do  not  belong  to 
the  churches,  convents,  and  other  religious  institutions,  are 
the  traders  of  the  bazaar,1  and  ply  each  some  petty  industry : 
they  make  soap  ;  they  weave ;  they  manufacture,  as  in  Beth¬ 
lehem,  rosaries,  crosses,  wax  tapers,  images,  etc.  The  posses¬ 
sion  of  landed  property,  as  well  as  the  various  rights  of  the 
population,  are  so  little  established  under  the  Turkish  law,2 
that  there  is  no  living  in  security.  In  the  courts  the  testimony 
of  Mohammedans  alone  is  taken  against  a  Mohammedan  ; 
that  of  Mohammedans  and  Christians  against  the  latter;  and 
against  a  Jew,  Mohammedans,  Christians,  and  Jews. 

The  greatest  part  of  the  landed  property  in  the  city  is 
the  so-called  Wakf,  i.e.  the  property  of  mosques,  convents, 
and  public  institutions  :  so  much  is  taken  up  in  this  way, 
that  only  a  little  is  left  for  private  possession.  Wakf  el 
Ilaram  is  the  largest  of  these  Wakfs:  it  embraces  most  of 
the  houses  of  the  Jews’  quarter ;  and  since  there  are  no 
private  owners  of  the  houses  there,  they  have  been  suffered 
to  fall  into  the  wretched  condition  in  which  they  are  now 
seen.  Besides  this  one,  there  is  the  Wakf  el  Tekijjeh,  the 
former  Hospital  of  Helena,  now  a  Moslem  house  for  the 
poor  and  sick.  A  Wakf  Franji  is  the  property  of  the  Latin 
Convent,  a  Wakf  Bumi  of  the  Greek  one,  and  a  Wakf 
Arman  of  the  Armenian  Convent.  The  name  given  to  pri¬ 
vate  property  is  Miilk  Maukuf  ( mantis  mortua )  :  this  always 

1  Wilson,  The  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  i.  p.  453. 

t  See  Wolff’s  Reise  for  the  fullest  specification  of  such  matters. 


192 


PALESTINE. 


falls  to  the  religious  institutions  where  there  are  no  male 
heirs.  The  Miilk  or  private  property  forms,  therefore,  but  a 
very  small  part  of  the  city.  The  value  of  each  lot  is  always 
divided  into  twenty-four  parts,  which  are  rarely  held  by  a 
single  individual.  Almost  every  piece  of  ground  has  several 
possessors ;  and  it  becomes  very  difficult  to  purchase  land, 
since  the  owner  of  a  single  one  of  the  twenty-four  parts  may 
prevent  the  formation  of  a  contract.  This  difficulty  was  a 
very  serious  one  at  the  time  when  the  land  was  purchased 
for  the  Anglo-German  church,  and  other  similar  occasions. 
Even  at  the  epoch  of  the  Crusades,  says  Schultz,  it  was  not 
easy  to  obtain  a  title  to  land  in  J erusalem ;  but  now,  with 
the  additional  drawback  of  Moslem  jealousy,  it  is  much  more 
difficult. 

The  life  of  the  Mohammedans  of  Jerusalem  displays  no 
marked  dissimilarity  from  its  character  throughout  the  East; 
but  it  is  a  matter  greatly  to  be  regretted,  that  since  1840, 
the  Egyptian  sway,  which  at  least  assured  security  for  life 
and  property  throughout  the  land,  has  been  exchanged  for 
the  Turkish,  with  its  feebleness  and  its  confusion ;  so  that 
now  it  is  necessary  to  come  back  to  the  employment  of  a 
band  of  armed  Beduin,  if  one  would  not  be  plundered,  and 
perhaps  killed ;  and  this  despite  the  fact  that  now  there  is  a 
pasha  resident  at  Jerusalem,  whereas  the  city  was  formerly 
included  in  the  pashalic  of  Damascus.  The  taxes  have, 
indeed,  been  made  somewhat  less  than  they  were  during  the 
Egyptian  supremacy,  but  the  miserable  system1  of  hiring 
them  out  has  been  made  universal  in  Palestine, — a  system 
which  bears  particularly  hard  upon  the  Christians  of  Jeru¬ 
salem,  who2  are  obliged  to  pay  105,680  piastres,  or  not  far, 
in  round  numbers,  from  a  thousand  pounds  sterling.  The 
little  colony  of  Hindoo  Mohammedans,  discovered  in  Jeru¬ 
salem  by  Wilson,  deserves  a  moment’s  notice.  Many  of  this 
sect,  who  have  made  the  pilgrimage  from  India  to  Mecca 
and  Medina,  have  come  as  far  as  Jerusalem,  and  in  many 

1  Schultz,  On  the  Taxation  of  Palestine ,  MS.  account. 

2  Gadow,  iiber  gegenwdrtige  Besteuerung  einiger  Districte  des  Paschaliks 
Jerusalem ,  in  Monatsb.  fur  Erdlc.  in  Berlin ,  vol.  vi.  1850,  pp.  2-7. 


INHABITANTS  OF  JERUSALEM. 


193 


cases  have  married  and  settled  in  the  Moslem  quarter. 
Such  are  gladly  welcomed  by  the  Mohammedan  authorities, 
since  they  often  bring  presents  with  them,  rice  among  the 
rest.  When  Wilson1  visited  them,  they  numbered  about 
twenty-five,  and  were  strictly  English  subjects,  and  pro¬ 
tected  by  the  English  consulate.  A  much  larger  number 
have  settled  in  Damascus ;  and  these  two  little  colonies  form 
a  remarkable  complement  to  those  which  have  been  found 
farther  west,  and  which  have  continued  to  hold  fast  to  their 
faith — such,  for  instance,  as  the  community  which  Pallas  dis¬ 
covered  in  Astrachan.  In  answer  to  the  question  why  they 
came  so  far  west  to  live,  the  Jerusalem  Hindoos  answered, 
that  u  wind  and  water  are  good  in  Ind,  but  in  Sham  they 
are  bitter :  Ind  is  the  land  of  the  unbelievers,  Sham  the  land 
of  the  believers.”  Sham  is  Syria,  and  the  West  to  be  extolled 
as  highly  by  the  Moslems  as  the  Hedjas  by  the  Arabs. 

The  missions  and  the  Protestant  bishopric  established  by 
the  united  Churches  of  England  and  Prussia,  have  already 
done  enough  to  justify  the  hope  that  the  future  will  witness 
a  marked  improvement  in  the  life  of  the  nominal  Christians 
in  Jerusalem.  The  incessant  internal  strifes  of  the  various 
sects ;  the  unchristian  manner  in  which  the  sacred  festivals  of 
Easter,  Whitsuntide,  and  others  are  celebrated;  the  ignorance, 
superstition,  jealousy,  selfishness,  which  are  displayed,  added 
to  a  tendency  in  one  sect  to  conciliate  unbelievers  in  order 
to  awaken  their  hatred  against  other  sects,  have  been  dis¬ 
played  in  Jerusalem  no  less  than  in  Bethlehem,  commented 
on  by  almost  all  travellers,  and  condemned  in  round  and 
worthy  phrases.  The  thing  is  so  well  known  and  so  much 
lamented,2  that  I  need  not  speak  of  it  minutely  here.  The 
evil  is  heightened  by  the  fact  that  it  tends  to  harden  the 
Moslems  in  the  conviction  that  their  faith  is  the  true  one, 
and  to  fill  them  with  scorn  towards  the  men  who  thus  quarrel 
over  the  places  most  sacred  in  their  eyes ;  and  so  long  as  the 
Turks  retain  their  authoritv  in  the  land,  it  is  to  be  feared 

V  ' 

1  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  i.  p.  44G. 

2  Schultz,  Reise,  pp.  192-225;  Wolff,  Reise ,  p.  96;  Williams,  Holy 
City ,  ii.  p.  531  et  sq. ;  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  i.  p.  449  et  sq. 

VOL.  IV.  N 


194 


PALESTINE. 


that  the  claims  of  Christianity  will  find  little  sanction  in  their 
eyes  by  the  conduct  of  most  of  the  Christians  who  resort 
to  Jerusalem.  The  oriental  adherents  to  Christianity  are 
divided  into  the  following  sects :  Greeks,  Georgians,  Arme¬ 
nians,  Syrians  or  Jacobites,  and  Copts.  The  occidental 
Christians  are  the  Latins,  and  the  people  attached  to  the 
American  congregation  and  to  the  Anglo-German  mission. 

1.  The  Orthodox  Greek  Church  of  the  Orient } 

Four  patriarchs  stood  at  the  head  of  the  Christian  com¬ 
munity  of  the  East  during  the  early  centuries,  but  without 
any  special  claims.  Of  these  four,  the  bishop  of  Caesarea, 
where  Eusebius  once  resided,  was  selected  by  the  Council  of 
Nice  to  be  Metropolitan  of  Jerusalem.  Later  a  patriarch 
was  established  there,  and  Caesarea  and  Scythopolis  were 
taken  from  the  northern  diocese,  and  Rabbath  Moab,  Petra 
in  Arabia,  from  the  Egyptian  patriarchate,  and  a  new  one 
formed  which  comprised  sixty-eight  bishoprics,  and  had  twenty- 
five  suffragans  under  its  jurisdiction.  Of  this  diocese,  which 
extended  from  the  Lebanon  to  the  Dead  Sea,  and  from  the 
Mediterranean  to  the  Desert  east  of  the  J ordan,  only  a  wreck 
remains.  Although  its  wide  domains  comprise  Phoenicia, 
Judaea,  Galilee,  Samaria,  Idumaea,  and  Arabia  Petraea,  yet 
only  fourteen  episcopal  residences  are  distributed  over  it ;  and 
of  these  many  are  merely  nominal,  and  cannot  be  occupied  by 
bishops.  In  case  they  are  (as  they  generally  are)  in  partibus 
infidelium ,  they  reside  generally  in  the  great  Greek  Convent 
at  Jerusalem  which  was  founded  by  Constantine;  and  when 
the  country  is  peaceful  enough  to  allow  it,  they  go  out  to 
visit  their  respective  flocks.  Only  the  bishops  of  Ptolemais 
or  Acre  (to  which  Nazareth  belongs)  and  Bethlehem  are 
accustomed  to  reside  statedly  at  the  episcopal  capital. 

The  patriarch  of  Jerusalem,  for  whom  a  stately  palace 
has  been  recently  built  between  the  Church  of  the  Holy 
Sepulchre  and  the  Latin  Convent  (the  old  palace  of  the 
patriarch  of  Jerusalem  at  the  time  of  the  Crusades  is  at  pre- 

1  Williams,  Holy  City,  ii.  pp.  539-549 ;  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible, 
ii.  pp.  451-479. 


ORIENTAL  CHRISTIANS  OF  JERUSALEM.  195 


sent  the  residence  of  the  superintendent  of  the  Sherif,  the 
Nakib  el-Ashrak),  had  for  a  long  time  resided  in  Constan¬ 
tinople,  because  it  was  thought  that  there  he  could  be  more 
influential  in  favourably  affecting  the  Turkish  Government 
than  if  he  were  to  live  in  Palestine.  His  vicar  bears  the  title 
A  Vakil.  The  late  patriarch  Athanasius,  an  old  man  of  ninety, 
for  many  years  lived  in  great  retirement  on  an  island  in  the 
Sea  of  Marmora,  while  a  synod  composed  of  a  hundred  and 
fifty  men,  most  of  them  bishops  and  priests  from  the  Greek 
islands,  managed  the  business  of  the  patriarchate.  In  1843 
he  died.  According  to  the  right  of  his  position,  he  had  be¬ 
fore  his  death  appointed  his  successor,  the  bishop  of  Tabor, 
who  was  then  acting  as  his  minister  at  St  Petersburg ;  but 
the  divan  of  the  sultan,  who  had  to  act  upon  the  selection, 
rejected  it,  and  chose  a  stranger.  Meanwhile  the  two  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  synod  who  had  remained  in  Jerusalem,  the  pro¬ 
minent  bishops  of  Lydda  and  Petra,  would  not  admit  the 
right  of  the  Porte  to  interfere :  they  nominated  the  former 
of  the  two.  The  sultan  accepted  the  nomination,  and  he  was 
inaugurated  as  patriarch  in  1845.  He  at  once  set  new 
movements  on  foot :  he  selected  his  treasurers,  sacristans, 
custodians,  and  various  subordinates,  and  gave  them  active 
occupation  in  the  Greek  Convent  in  caring  for  the  numerous 
pilgrims,  and  in  seeing  that  every  one  enjoyed  the  hospitality 
of  the  place  for  a  day  and  a  night.  On  the  day  after  their 
arrival  the  gifts  of  the  pilgrims  were  received,  their  names 
registered  by  the  authorities,  and  they  were  apportioned  to 
the  various  convents  of  their  church,  to  be  taken  care  of, 
body  and  soul,  during  their  stay  in  Jerusalem.  There  are 
twelve  monasteries  for  the  reception  of  the  men,  and  five 
nunneries  for  the  women  of  the  Greek  Church,  who  come  as 
pilgrims  to  Jerusalem.  These  institutions  are  indeed  very 
small ;  yet  the  pilgrims  are  all  of  them  able  to  attend  mass 
in  the  chapels,  and  all  of  them  receive  their  directions  where 
to  find  the  stations ;  and  thus  a  good  degree  of  system  is  pre¬ 
served,  notwithstanding  the  numbers  to  be  provided  for.  Six 
married  and  resident  priests  are  entrusted  with  the  spiritual 
care  of  the  pilgrims :  they  preach  in  the  Greek  language,  and 


196 


PALESTINE. 


alone  receive  the  sacrament ;  all  others,  even  the  ignorant 
monks  themselves,  being  excluded  from  partaking  of  it,  in 
order  to  avoid  the  scandals  of  former  times.  But  even  these 
six  priests  are  destitute  of  all  culture :  they  have  no  seminary 
whatever;  and  the  establishment  of  one  in  Jerusalem  would 
be  of  great  advantage  to  them.  According  to  the  statement 
of  the  present  patriarch,  who  seems  to  be  more  deserving 
of  praise  than  his  predecessors,  there  reside  permanently  six 
hundred  orthodox  Greek  Christians  in  Jerusalem :  in  his 
patriarchate  he  numbers  17,280,  the  most  of  whom  live  in 
villages  mixed  with  the  Mohammedans. 

O 

In  the  Convent  of  St  Demetrius  the  main  body  of  the 
Greek  monks  live ;  at  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre 
there  are  at  least  thirty,  who  discharge  the  duties  of  public 
service  in  rotation.  Syrians  are  not  received  into  the  order 
of  the  monks ;  Greek  Christians  of  Arabian  extraction  have 
been  for  two  hundred  years  excluded  from  these  convents, 
in  consequence  of  their  wild  and  vagabond  character;  only 
natives  of  the  islands  of  the  Greek  archipelago  are  admitted 
to  the  priestly  order.  The  Greeks  hold  the  largest  part  of 
the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  but  all  other  communions 
have  their  own,  although  often  a  very  limited  and  jealously 
guarded  one. 

2.  The  Georgians . 

Their  church  in  Jerusalem  is  at  present  very  much  over¬ 
shadowed,  but  its  great  antiquity  and  its  early  importance  ought 
to  give  it  a  very  prominent  place.  Iberia,  Albania,  and  the 
lands  on  the  south  side  of  the  Caucasus,  adopted  Christianity 
after  its  presentation  there  by  the  apostles  Andrew  and  Simon, 
and  renewed  their  faith  when  St  Clemens  preached  there,  who 
was  banished  to  those  regions  by  Hadrian,  and  when  the  voice 
of  St  Ninna  had  been  heard  there,  whose  uncle  was  a  bishop  in 
Jerusalem  during  the  third  century.  The  first  Christian  king 
of  Iberia,  Miriam,  while  on  a  pilgrimage  to  Jerusalem  in  his 
eightieth  year,  received  a  present  from  Constantine  which  was 
intended  to  be  used  for  founding  a  church  there.  This  gift  was 
1  Williams,  Holy  City ,  ii.  pp.  549-554. 


OMENTAL  CHRISTIANS  OF  JERUSALEM.  197 


subsequently  largely  increased,  and  made  more  adequate  to 
meet  the  end  proposed.  Thus  far  we  have  to  rely  on  the 
legend.  But  this  story  is  confirmed  by  history ;  for  Procopius 
tells  us  that  the  Emperor  Justinian  placed  the  church  of  the 
Iberians  and  that  of  the  Lazi,  a  branch  of  that  body,  in  the 
Hermitage  at  Jerusalem.  The  princely  family  of  Bagra- 
thion,  which  traced  its  lineage  back  to  the  house  of  David, 
and  which  at  a  later  day  as  the  kings  of  Georgia1  waged  its 
thousand  years  long  war  with  Persians  and  Turks  in  behalf 
of  Christianity,  left  their  home  at  Jerusalem,  according  to 
the  statement  of  Constantine,  and  established  their  throne  in 
Georgia  under  Justinian  ii.,  whose  reign  extended  from  685 
to  711.  Living  there,  they  have  always  been  prominent 
donors  to  the  institutions  of  their  old  home,  and  have  done 
much  for  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  Their  labours  only  ceased  at 
the  time  of  the  gradual  decline  of  their  kingdom  during  the 
seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries,  and  with  its  ultimate 
absorption,  in  1801,  in  the  Russian  Empire. 

There  was  once  a  time  when  the  Georgians  held  no  less 
than  eleven  churches  and  convents  in  Jerusalem :  their  king, 
Vachtang  vi.,  was  able  to  send  a  gift  of  two  thousand  tomans 
to  the  Ploly  Sepulchre.  At  the  commencement  of  the  six¬ 
teenth  century  they  had  more  rights  and  privileges  than  any 
other  of  the  Christian  confessions ;  for,  says  the  pilgrim 
Baumgarten,  in  the  year  1507,  they  went  with  great  pomp, 
with  arms  and  banners,  through  every  part  of  the  Holy  City, 
entirely  free  from  tribute  and  other  civic  burdens  ;  and  their 
chivalrous  wives  even  were  equipped  like  Amazons  ready  for 
battle.  They  were  then  in  possession  of  the  Chapel  of  the 
Holy  Cross.  During  the  many  wars  with  Persians,  Turks, 
and  Caucasians,  Georgia  fell  into  a  decline  :  Armenians 
and  Greeks  gradually  gained  possession  of  the  impoverished 
church,  convents,  and  other  religious  foundations  of  the 
Georgians,  and  only  a  single  convent  remained  to  them — • 
probably  the  one  which  had  been  built  by  their  king  Tatian 
in  the  fifth  century,  upon  the  land  given  by  Constantine  to 
Miriam.  It  remains  known  to  the  present  day  by  the  name 

1 15.  Dorn,  Erster  Beitrag  zur  GescMchte  tier  Georgia',  pp.  7-119. 


198 


PALESTINE. 


of  tlie  Convent  of  the  Wood  of  the  Holy  Cross — Deir  el 
Masallabeh.  It  lies  outside  of  Jerusalem,  twenty  minutes’ 
walk  westward  from  the  city,  in  a  side  valley  leading  off  to 
the  left  from  the  road  to  Jaffa.  It  is  there,  as  the  legend 
says,  that  the  wood  grew,  out  of  which  the  cross  was  made. 
The  massive  walls  of  the  building,  with  its  iron  gate  and  its 
low  entrance,  show  how  dangerous  the  neighbourhood  used  to 
be  considered,  and  how  necessary  that  it  should  be  guarded 
strongly,  although  the  building  had  in  the  seventeenth  century 
two  hundred  cells,  and  might  be  supposed  able,  from  har¬ 
bouring  so  many  monks,  to  have  offered  a  stout  resistance. 
Yet  one  of  the  last  superiors  was  murdered  in  his  bed  by  the 
Arabs.  During  late  years  there  have  been  only  three  or 
four  monks  there,  under  the  superintendence  of  an  archi- 
mandrate.  The  church,  despite  its  ruined  state,  has  something 
striking  in  its  position,  and  many  fine  mosaics,  but  seems  to 
be  but  little  visited:  a  rebuilding  of  it  would  be  well  worthy  of 
the  heir  of  the  domain  once  held  by  the  Emperor  Heraclitus. 
Tischendorf,1  who  visited  the  place  in  1846  on  his  way  to 
the  Convent  of  St  John  farther  west,  says  that  it  lies  about 
three-quarters  of  an  hour  from  the  city ;  and  that  he  found 
there  a  library  with  many  Georgian,  Armenian,  and  Arabic 
manuscripts,  and  some  Greek  parchments  strewing  the  floor  ; 
and  convinced  himself  that  much  that  is  valuable  matter  was 
there,  although  the  greater  number  of  Georgian  manuscripts, 
and  many  others  which  the  learned  Scholtz  had  discovered 
twenty  years  before,  were  far  from  being  of  value.  In  the 
church  he  found  still  remaining  some  rich  fresco  paintings, 
executed  in  a  devout  spirit :  these  Krafft  supposes  to  have 
been  the  gift  of  the  older  Georgian  kings,  who  followed 
Miriam’s  example  in  making  the  pilgrimage  to  Jerusalem. 

3.  The  Armenians ,2 

the  oldest  cognate  race  with  the  Georgians,  and  in  common 
with  them  very  early  recipients  of  Christianity,  abandoned 

1  Tischendorf,  Reise  in  der  Orient ,  ii.  p.  69  ;  Krafft,  Topogr.  p.  263. 

2  Schultz,  Reise ,  pp.  215-223  ;  Williams,  Holy  City ,  ii.  pp.  554-560  ; 
Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  i.  p.  452,  ii.  pp.  479-506. 


ORIENTAL  CHRISTIANS  OF  JERUSALEM.  199 


the  orthodox  church  at  the  Council  of  Chalcedon  in  491,  and 
were  afterwards  viewed  by  their  old  friends  with  great  bitter¬ 
ness.  They  are  the  chief  representatives  of  the  monophysite 
heresy.  Their  union  with  the  orthodox  Greek  Church  is 
earnestly  sought  by  their  general  head,  the  Catholicos  or 
Patriarch  at  Etjmiadzin,  and  by  the  Russian  Government; 
for  if  it  were  accomplished,  the  united  body  would  present 
a  formidable  front  to  the  Romish  Church.  Of  Catholics 
in  alliance  with  Armenians,  there  are  none  in  Jerusalem, 
although  their  number  is  very  large  in  Aleppo  and  other 
Syrian  cities.  The  number  of  the  schismatic  Armenians  in 
Jerusalem  is  small,  at  the  highest  three  hundred  and  fifty 
souls ;  but  they  are  in  the  possession  of  the  greatest  wealth, 
an  assured  position,  the  most  attractive  convent  in  Jeru¬ 
salem,  and  the  richest  church — one  which  in  size,  too,  is  larger 
than  that  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  and  which,  moreover,  is 
surrounded  by  the  finest  gardens.  It,  as  well  as  the  convent, 
is  consecrated  to  St  James  the  son  of  Zebedee,  whose  name 
is  given  as  that  of  the  first  bishop  of  Jerusalem,  and  who  is 
revered  as  a  martyr.  They  both  were  the  property  of  the 
Georgians ;  but  the  latter,  too  poor  at  length  to  pay  the 
heavy  taxes  which  the  Moslems  laid  upon  them,  made  them 
over  in  the  sixteenth  century,  in  connection  with  the  re¬ 
puted  house  of  Caiaphas  on  Zion,  outside  of  the  gate,  to  the 
Armenians,  reserving  the  title,  however,  to  themselves.  The 
church  was  built  by  George  I.  Curopalata  in  the  eleventh 
century.  Up  to  the  present  day  the  very  ancient  archives  of 
this  foundation  remain  unexamined.  The  extensive  trade 
which  the  Armenians  carried  on  during  the  long  centuries  of 
their  banishment  from  their  old  home, — and  which  they,  as  the 
medium  of  communication  between  the  East  and  the  West, 
Vienna  on  the  Danube,  and  Calcutta  on  the  Ganges,  the 
Neva,  the  Euphrates,  and  the  Nile,  knew  how  to  appropriate 
to  themselves, — has,  in  connection  with  their  great  fairness  in 
dealing,  brought  them  to  the  highly  honourable  place  which 
they  hold  not  only  in  Jerusalem,  but  throughout  the  East. 
The  great  apostle  Gregorius  Illuminator  is  the  bond  that 
holds  all  the  scattered  communities  of  this  body  in  unity:  the 


200 


PALESTINE. 


Catliolicos  is  the  officer  who  now  holds  his  place  and  wears 
his  dignities.  His  two  vicars,  who  are  rather  to  be  called 
his  political  agents,  are  the  Armenian  patriarchs,  who  have 
taken  up  their  residence  at  Jerusalem  and  at  Constantinople. 
The  first  of  these  laid  aside  the  title  of  Bishop  of  Jerusalem 
in  favour  of  that  of  patriarch  in  1310  ;  the  Bishop  of  Con¬ 
stantinople  took  the  same  step  in  1461.  The  diocese  of  the 
latter,  which  was  subject  to  the  Catliolicos,  extended  over  the 
whole  Turkish  Empire,  Palestine  excluded.  The  Patriarch 
of  Jerusalem  is  independent,  and  enjoys  unlimited  control  in 
his  diocese,  which  extends  over  Palestine  and  Cyprus.  He 
is  a  man  of  much  note  there,  in  the  city  of  his  residence. 
There  are  several  hundred  Armenians  dwelling  in  Jerusalem, 
the  most  of  whom  are  merchants  and  agents. 

4.  The  Syrians  or  Jacobites} 

The  Syrian  people,  once  one  of  the  most  cultivated  on 
the  globe,  lost  its  political  independence  with  the  extension 
of  the  Persian  power  over  western  Asia,  and  has  never 
since  attained  to  national  importance.  Early  converted  to 
Christianity,  the  Syrians  carried  the  gospel  with  great  zeal 
from  Antioch  on  the  Orontes,  and  as  Nestorians,  from  the 
Euphrates  at  the  same  time,  not  ceasing  in  their  efforts  till 
they  reached  China.  The  Syrians  who  remained  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  Tigris  attached  themselves — since  the  Nes- 
torians,  as  a  heretical  sect,  were  excluded  from  the  orthodox 
church — to  the  monophysite  doctrine,  like  the  Copts  in 
Alexandria  and  the  Armenians,  with  whom  they  were  in 
alliance.  The  views  of  the  Syrians,  however,  were  but 
slightly  different  from  those  which  were  held  to  be  orthodox. 
They  called  themselves  Jacobites,  after  a  certain  Jacobus 
Baradasus,  a  heretical  monk,  a  disciple  of  Severus  of  Antioch, 
who  in  the  first  half  of  the  sixth  century  called  into  new 
activity  the  already  weakened  party  of  the  Monophysites. 
His  followers,  under  the  name  of  Jacobites,  formed  the 

1  Schultz,  iiber  syrisch-jacobitische  Christen  in  Asien ,  in  Monatsb.  der 
Ges.fiir  Erdkunde  in  Berlin ,  1850,  pp.  2G7-281  ;  Wilson,  Lands  of  the 
Bible,  ii.  pp.  506-519. 


ORIENTAL  CHRISTIANS  OF  JERUSALEM.  201 


largest  part  of  the  Copts  of  Egypt,  who,  so  long  as  the 
Emperors  of  Constantinople  exercised  influence  there,  were 
constantly  persecuted  and  oppressed. 

These  Syrian  Christians,  who  were  also  known  as  Surjani, 
retained  their  Asiatic  locations,  particularly  in  the  country  of 
the  Kurds,  on  the  upper  Tigris  and  Euphrates,  where  the 
chief  dignitary,  the  patriarch,  resided.  He  formerly  lived  in 
Arnida,  but  more  recently  his  home  has  been  in  the  Convent 
Heir  el  Zafaran,  near  Mardin.  From  this  point  he  sends 
metropolitans  to  each  of  the  twelve  bishoprics  under  his 
supervision,  to  Mosul,  Diabekir,  Bitlis,  Damascus,  Aleppo, 
Jerusalem,  and  even  to  Malabar.  Still,  these  have  so  little 
coherence  and  interdependence,  that  the  Roman  Catholic  pro¬ 
paganda  has  attempted  by  means  of  French  priests  to  take 
from  them  six  of  their  churches  and  convents.  In  Jerusalem, 
the  only  possession  which  remains  to  them  of  their  former 
possessions,  is  the  little  Church  and  Convent  of  St  Mark,1  on 
Mount  Zion:  the  others  have  either  all  been  seized  by  the 
Turks  in  default  of  the  non-payment  of  taxes,  or  have  been 
appropriated  by  their  reputed  protectors,  the  Armenians. 

The  head  of  the  convent  in  Jerusalem  a  century  ago  was 
a  bishop  of  Orfa,  Abd  el  Nur,  a  very  celebrated  man  :  he 
was  transferred  to  Damascus,  and  left  in  his  place  a  vicar  to 
attend  to  the  business  of  the  convent,  as  well  as  to  the  wants 
of  the  little  community  in  Jerusalem,  consisting  of  only 
three  families.  These  seem  to  have  at  length  disappeared, 
and  the  great  Abyssinian  Convent,  which  claims  supremacy 
over  all  the  monophysite  institutions,  has  taken  charge  of  the 
relics  of  the  old  and  desolate  J acobite  Convent,  including  its 
furniture  and  documents,  among  which  it  is  possible  that 
there  are  some  of  considerable  historical  importance. 

5.  The  Copts  and  Ahyssinians ? 

The  largest  portion  of  the  population  of  Egypt,  which, 
according  to  Macrizi,  bore  the  name  for  centuries  of  Nile 

1  Williams,  Holy  City ,  ii.  pp.  560-5G2. 

2  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  i.  p.  452,  ii.  pp.  519-543  ;  Williams, 
Holy  City ,  i.  pp.  562-567. 


202 


PALESTINE. 


Copts,  and  was  made  up  of  Egyptians,  Nubians,  Abyssinians, 
and  Jewish  renegades,  adopted  the  monophysite  doctrine  of 
their  patriarchs  in  Alexandria.  These,  as  long  as  the  By¬ 
zantine  power  was  felt  in  Egypt,  were  so  oppressed  by  the 
stronger  orthodox  Greek  Church,  that  at  the  time  of  Omar’s 
expedition  they  even  made  common  cause  wTith  the  Moham¬ 
medans,  and  fought  against  the  Greeks  in  the  field.  The 
patriarch  Benjamin,  the  head  of  the  Jacobites  in  Alexandria, 
paid  tribute,  and  was  considered  a  dependant  during  the  time 
of  his  patriarchate,1  a.d.  640.  The  conversion  of  the  Abys¬ 
sinians  to  the  gospel,  which  began  at  Alexandria,  continues 
to  be  recognised  up  to  the  present  time,  by  the  appointment 
of  the  highest  dignitary  of  the  Abyssinian  Church  by  the 
patriarch  of  Alexandria. 

The  Copts,  who  number  about  a  hundred  in  Jerusalem, 
attach  themselves — as  do  their  fellow-believers  the  Jacobites, 
and  the  Abyssinians  of  the  Holy  City,  all  of  whom  have  long 
been  opponents  of  the  Greek  Church — to  the  Armenians,  since 
these  are  able,  in  consequence  of  their  high  position,  to  afford 
them  protection,  and  from  their  wealth  to  give  them  substan¬ 
tial  aid  in  their  need.  Of  their  special  peculiarities  little  is 
known.  It  is  only  within  recent  years,  since  there  has  been 
an  interest  awakened  in  Abyssinian  affairs,  that  much  atten¬ 
tion  has  been  devoted  to  them.  In  the  year  1842,  the  Copts 
in  Jerusalem  possessed  only  six  poor  houses,  from  which 
they  received  a  very  slight  income  in  way  of  rent ;  yet  even 
these  were  claimed  by  intriguing  factions ;  and  since  there 
could  be  no  documents  received  from  the  region  of  the  Upper 
Nile  without  considerable  delay,  the  Copts  were  compelled  to 
advance  a  sum  equal  to  a  hundred  and  five  pounds  sterling,  in 
order  to  bribe  the  Turkish  cadi,  for  this  was  the  worth  of  the 
houses  on  the  point  of  being  confiscated.  The  use  of  a  cistern, 
which  had  always  before  been  at  their  command,  was  denied 
them  by  a  Turkish  neighbour ;  and  in  order  not  to  perish 
with  thirst,  they  were  obliged  to  pay  forty-five  pounds  more. 
They  used  to  own  a  little  convent  of  St  George,  near  the 
so-called  pool  of  Hezekiah ;  and  at  the  time  when  Ibrahim 
1  Macrizi,  Gesch.  der  Copten ,  axis  dem  Arabischen ,  p.  51. 


ORIENTAL  CHRISTIANS  OF  JERUSALEM.  203 


Pasha  controlled  the  destinies  of  the  country,  they  were  put¬ 
ting  up  a  new  building  to  serve  as  a  convent,  or  a  caravan¬ 
serai  for  the  accommodation  of  their  pilgrims.  After  the 
Turkish  Government  was  restored,  however,  they  were  driven 
out  from  their  own  building,  then  well  advanced,  and  it  was 
converted  into  Turkish  barracks. 

The  main  property  at  present  consists  of  the  great  Coptic 
convent  which  stands  close  by  the  east  side  of  the  Church  of 
the  Holy  Sepulchre,  above  the  great  cistern  which  bears  the 
name  of  Helena’s  Treasury.  It  dates  from  a  time  when  the 
body  claiming  it  were  in  much  more  favourable  circumstances 
than  they  are  at  the  present  time,  probably  from  the  period 
when  the  Egyptian  Mamelukes  had  the  control  of  Palestine, 
and  took  them  under  their  protection.  The  advantage  of 
this  ceased,  of  course,  in  the  year  1517,  in  which  the  Sultan 
Selim  i.  took  possession  of  Jerusalem.  In  the  convent  the 
story  is  still  told,  that  the  Coptic  secretary  of  one  of  the 
Mamelukes  was  allowed,  in  consideration  of  his  faithful 
service,  to  ask  for  anything  which  he  might  choose,  and  pre¬ 
ferred  a  petition  in  favour  of  the  dilapidated  convent  near 
the  Holy  Sepulchre.  The  Copts,  in  honour  of  their  patron, 
gave  the  restored  convent  the  name  Deir  es  Sultan.  This 
seems  to  have  taken  place  but  a  short  time  before  the  capture 
of  the  city  by  the  Turks,  and  there  was  no  opportunity  for 
the  institution  long  to  enjoy  1  its  newly  gained  advantages. 
A  token  of  the  valuable  protection  afforded  by  the  Egyptian 
sultans,  and  of  their  liberality,  is  seen  in  a  heavy  iron  chain 
which  is  fastened,  into  the  wall  close  by  the  gate,  and  which 
has  proved  strong  enough  to  secure  the  possession  of  the 
convent  to  the  Copts  up  to  the  present  day. 

A  prior  stands  at  the  head  of  it,  a  married  man,  as  in 
other  Egyptian  convents.  The  convent  is  served  by  some 
poor  Coptic  and  Abyssinian  priests,  and  is  khan  or  hospice  2 
as  well  as  convent.  The  number  of  pilgrims  who  visit  the 
place  is,  however,  very  small.  In  the  year  1816,  Mr  Banks, 
in  company  with  his  companion  Buckingham,3  called  upon  an 

1  Krafft,  Topog.  p.  263.  2  Macrizi,  as  cited  above,  p.  85. 

3  Buckingham,  Palestine ,  i.  p.  329. 


204 


PALESTINE. 


Abyssinian  prince  who  was  then  lodging  there.  They  found 
the  building  to  be  made  up  of  several  little  rooms  or  cells 
surrounding  a  court,  from  which  the  dome  of  the  Church 
of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  could  be  seen.  The  prince  was  in 
one  of  these  little  rooms  with  five  or  six  attendants,  besides 
women,  and  three  pretty  maids.  Banks  saw  there  some 
finely  written  books  in  the  Amhara  language,  executed  on 
parchment,  and  with  illuminations.  This  establishment  has 
been,  so  far  as  the  King  of  Shoa  could  go  in  the  matter, 
recently  transferred  to  the  direction  of  the  evangelical 
bishop,  and  the  change  promises  to  be  of  great  advantage  to 
the  hitherto  neglected  Abyssinian  priests.  It  is  to  be  hoped 
that  the  excellent  and  untiring  Bishop  Gobat  will  be  able  to 
kindle  the  almost  extinct  spark  of  African  piety  to  a  brighter 
flame  than  it  has  ever  before  displayed. 

Of  western  Christians,  the  Latins,  or  those  belonging  to 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  are  the  most  numerous,  not 
only  in  Palestine,  but  also  in  Jerusalem.  They  are  native- 
born  Arabs,  speak  the  Arabic  language,  and  are  about  a 
thousand  in  number.  The  most  elaborate  account  of  them 
has  been  given  by  Scholtz,1  formerly  professor  in  Bonn. 
After  the  time  of  Jerome,  hermit  and  monastic  life  began  to 
be  very  general  throughout  all  Palestine ;  and  the  tendency 
of  Europeans  to  travel  thither,  in  order  to  adopt  one  of  those 
two  forms  of  self-sequestration,  was  much  heightened  by  the 
inroads  which  were  sweeping  away  the  population  of  Europe, 
as  well  as  by  the  princely  gifts  which  the  Byzantine  emperor 
was  making  to  the  Holy  Land  in  founding  convents,  churches, 
and  hospices.  These,  however,  were  for  the  most  part  swept 
away  when  the  caliphs  had  gained  possession  of  the  country. 
The  merchants  of  Amalfi  were  able,  however,  to  retain  their 
Convent  of  St  Maria  de  Latina,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  down  to  the  time  of  the 
Crusades  :  the  building  became  subsequently  an  hospital  of 
the  Knights  of  St  John.  After  the  occidental  Clmstians 
had  been  dispossessed  of  their  estates  and  ecclesiastical  build- 

1  Scholtz,  Reise,  pp.  193-230 ;  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  pp. 
569-579. 


CHRISTIANS  OF  JERUSALEM. 


205 


ings  by  Saladin,  the  Latins,  under  the  guidance  of  the  order 
of  St  Francis,  took  up  their  abode  in  the  Coenaculum  on 
Mount  Zion,  where  King  Robert  of  Sicily  erected  for  them 
a  Pilgrims’  House,  which  was  very  much  used  by  Europeans 
in  the  following  years,  till,  in  1560,  the  Christians  were 
forcibly  ejected  from  it,  under  the  plea  that  it  was  wrong  for 
them  to  make  so  common  use  of  the  burial-place  of  David. 
They  then  looked  for  a  home  elsewhere,  and  found  one  in 
the  Convent  of  St  Salvador,  which  had  formerly  belonged  to 
the  Georgians,  but  which,  like  most  of  their  buildings,  had 
fallen  much  out  of  repair  :  it  was  bought  by  the  Franciscans 
in  1569.  It  is  supposed  to  be  the  same  Iberian  convent 
which  king  Vachtang  founded,  and  which  Justinian  subse¬ 
quently  restored.1  The  privileges  which  were  enjoyed  by  the 
Franks  through  the  protection  of  the  kings  of  France,  and 
Louis  xv.  in  especial,  were  shared  by  the  Latin  monks  of 
this  convent,  which,  to  use  Scholtz’s  expression,  formed,  in 
respect  to  matters  both  ecclesiastical  and  secular,  a  status  in 
statu.  Their  privileges  were,  however,  much  reduced  during 
the  French  Revolution  and  the  invasion  of  the  East.  Charles 
iv.  of  Spain  received,  in  1793,  from  Sultan  Selim  the  title  of 
Protector  of  the  Sanctuaries  and  of  the  Priests  of  the  Holy 
Land,  which  had  formerly  belonged  to  the  kings  of  France. 
Napoleon  also  received  the  same,  but  it  led  to  no  practical 
results.  The  Latin  or  Franciscan  Convent  is  at  present  in 
the  possession  of  twelve  or  fifteen  monks,  mostly  Spaniards 
or  Italians,  under  the  direction  of  an  officer  chosen  by  the 
Pope  every  three  years,  and  called  the  Guardian  of  Mount 
Zion.  His  rank  is  higher  than  that  of  the  heads  of  the  other 
twenty  Franciscan  convents  in  the  Holy  Land,  and  he  styles 
himself  the  Custos  Terrae  Sanctse.  Formerly  he  exercised 
an  episcopal  jurisdiction  :  this  continued  till  the  year  1847, 
when  a  titular  patriarch  took  up  his  residence  in  J erusalem. 
In  the  convent  there  is  a  new  Arabic  printing-house.  The 
Latins  own  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane,  as  well  as  a  small 
convent  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Church  of  the  Holy 
Sepulchre,  and  the  Church  of  Scourging  in  the  Via  Dolorosa. 

1  Williams,  Holy  City ,  ii.  pp.  567-572. 


206 


PALESTINE . 


Their  stately  hospice  near  the  main  convent  is  the  usual  place 
where  pilgrims  from  Europe  are  lodged.  With  regard 1  to 
the  efforts  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  to  induce  the 
Georgians,  Armenians,  Syrians,  Copts,  and  Abyssinians  to 
come  over  to  their  profession,  Wilson  has  given  the  fullest 
account  in  his  Lands  of  the  Bible. 

With  regard  to  the  founding  of  the  recent  evangelical 
bishopric  in  Jerusalem,  there  has  been  published  a  full  and 
authentic  account,'2  to  which  I  refer  the  reader,  in  case  he 
wishes  to  inform  himself  regarding  a  project  by  no  means 
destitute  of  significance,  and  full  of  hope  for  the  East.  In 
relation  to  the  present  condition  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church  in  Palestine,  I  must  ask  the  reader  to  consult 
Strauss’  Sinai  und  Golgotha  (last  edit.  1865),  Tischendorf’s 
Travels  in  the  East ,  Krafft’s  Topographie  Jerusalems ,  and 
Wilson’s  Lands  of  the  Bible , — all  the  works  of  eye-witnesses. 
It  must  appear  surprising  to  the  reader,  to  find  this  subject 
presented  in  the  Rev.  Mr  Williams’  circumstantial  work  under 
the  one-sided  heading,  “  The  English  Mission.” 

The  Church  of  England  was  in  possession  of  a  parsonage 
merely  on  Mount  Zion,  when  King  Frederick  William  iv. 
of  Prussia  felt  himself  constrained  to  give  to  the  National 
Church  of  Prussia  a  place  side  by  side  with  that  of  England  ; 
since,  according  to  his  convictions,  the  cause  of  evangelical 
Christianity  in  the  East,  and  especially  in  the  Holy  Land, 
has  no  hope  of  accomplishing  permanent  good,  and  of  influ¬ 
encing  men  to  any  considerable  extent,  unless  there  be  all 
possible  unity  in  the  church  itself.  To  reach  this  high  goal, 
the  u  first  evangelical  bishopric  ”  was  established  on  the  part 
of  both  England  and  Prussia,  endowed  with  the  same  sums 
on  both  sides,  and  with  the  understanding  that  the  bishops 
should  be  selected  alternately  from  each  nation.  After 
the  death  of  Alexander,  the  first  bishop,  Samuel  Gobat,  a 
German,3  was  chosen.  Since  his  election  the  church  on 

1  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  pp.  585-600. 

2  Das  evangelische  Bisthum  in  Jerusalem ,  Berlin  1842. 

3  Die  Jahresfeier  der  evangelischen  Stiftung  in  Jerusalem ,  No.  6,  1851, 
pp.  22-25  ;  Krafft,  Topogr.  p.  259. 


CHRISTIANS  OF  JERUSALEM. 


207 


Mount  Zion  lias  been  erected  and  consecrated ;  evangelical 
schools  have  been  established  in  Jerusalem,  Nazareth,  Nablus, 
and  Szalt  in  Gilead,  the  last  of  which  has  been  taken  in 
charge  by  the  Greek  bishop,  after  he  had  become  a  co-workei 
with  the  English  and  Germans  ;  an  industrial  school  is  in 
flourishing  operation  ;  an  hospital  has  been  opened,  out  of  the 
promptings  of  Christian  love,  for  Jews,  Mohammedans,  and 
Christians,  and  has  been  fruitful  in  good  influences ;  a  dea¬ 
conesses’  institution  has  been  founded ;  a  Brothers’  Mission 
has  been  begun  by  the  Bale  Society;  the  Wupper  Valley 
Colony,  near  Bethlehem,1  is  in  progress  ;  and  the  Abyssi- 
nians,  who  usually  make  a  two  years’  stay  in  Jerusalem,  have 
been  put  by  the  King  of  Shoa  under  the  spiritual  direction 
of  Bishop  Gobat,  and  have  already  begun  to  carry  back  to 
their  countrymen  some  of  the  blessings  which  instruction  in 
the  Bible  and  fellowship  with  enlightened  Christians  have 
imparted  to  them.  The  English  mission  has  already,  under 
Gobat’ s  wise  direction  (he  formerly  laboured  in  connection 
with  it),  made  common  cause  with  the  bishopric  of  Jerusalem, 
to  the  evident  advantage  already  of  the  Greek  Church  in  the 
East.  The  most  salutary  results  are  to  be  hoped  from  it,  if 
God  continues  to  give  Ilis  blessing  to  the  enterprise.  The 
grain  of  mustard  seed  has  been  sown,  which,  under  God,  has 
already  begun  to  bear  fruit  in  the  north  of  the  Holy  Land, 
on  the  formerly  inaccessible  side  of  the  Jordan,  and  even  in 
the  neglected  church  of  distant  Abyssinia. 

With  regard  to  the  American  mission,  whose  labours  are 
largely  enjoyed  in  Jerusalem,2  although  since  1821  Beirut 
has  been  the  centre  of  operations,  the  fullest  consecutive 
account  is  given  in  its  organ  the  Missionary  Herald,  where 
the  reader  must  look  to  find  the  most  valuable  and  instruc¬ 
tive  documents  which  have  been  sent  home  by  the  agents  of 
any  society,  and  where  a  rich  store  of  scientific,  historical, 
and  antiquarian  details  may  be  seen  by  any  inquirer  into  the 
condition  of  the  Holy  Land  and  its  inhabitants.  For  many 
interesting  facts,  too,  I  am  indebted  to  the  contributions  of 

1  Church  Missionary  Intelligencer ,  vol.  ii.  1851,  p.  191. 

2  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  pp.  281-284. 


208 


PALESTINE. 


Drs  Robinson  and  Eli  Smith  to  the  Bibliotheca  Sacra  and 
to  the  Oriental  Herald.  Although  these  sources  indicate  so 
unmistakeably  the  extremely  valuable  nature  of  the  labours 
accomplished  by  the  agents  of  the  American  Missionary 
Society,  that  no  partisan  statement  can  mislead  us,  and 
awaken  a  doubt  regarding  the  great,  permanent,  and  prac¬ 
tical  value  of  labours  so  strongly  seconded  by  American 
wealth,  yet  as  there  have  been  attacks  made  upon  the  efforts 
of  the  American  missionaries,  I  will  cite  a  word  or  two  from 
Robinson,  which  will  set  in  the  clearest  light  the  purposes 
of  these  men,  of  whom,  in  respect  of  honourable  aim,  en¬ 
lightened  minds,  purity  and  genuine  nobility  of  character, 
even  their  opponents  speak  in  praise.1  The  object  of  the 
American2  mission  is  by  no  means  to  entice  the  members  of 
the  oriental  churches  from  their  own  communions,  and  to 
lead  them  to  Protestantism  :  its  purpose  solely  is  to  reawaken 
in  them  a  living  faith  in  the  old  and  simple  truths  of  the 
gospel,  as  they  existed  when  they  were  first  spread  abroad, 
and  before  they  were  obscured  in  the  hearts  of  believers. 
To  this  end  alone  the  missionaries  direct  their  united  energies, 
in  the  hope  that  they  may  so  powerfully  affect  individuals 
with  the  contagion  of  their  own  spirit,  that  while  remaining 
in  the  bosom  of  their  own  church,  they  may  become  the 
means  of  diffusing  the  same  life  and  love,  reawakening  an 
interest  in  the  old  and  faded  words  and  symbols  of  truth, 
and  causing  superstition  and  error  in  all  its  varied  forms 
to  disappear.  The  results  of  their  strivings  are  slowly 
reached,  it  must  be  confessed;  yet  the  last  twenty  years 
show  some  fruit,  even  though  the  number  of  baptized  con¬ 
verts  be  small.  These  men  work  in  perfect  stillness ;  their 
channels  of  influence  are  those  of  domestic,  social,  and  re¬ 
ligious  life ;  they  found  schools,  and  preach  sermons  in  the 
native  languages,  translate  the  Bible  into  the  same,  and  issue 
these  and  school-books  from  their  own  presses.  Thus  it  will 
be  seen  that  they  put  no  secondary  value  upon  scientific 
culture ;  and  as  physicians,  religious  advisers,  and  benefactors 

1  Williams,  Holy  City ,  on  American  Congregationalists,  ii.  512-519. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  225, 


THE  JEWS  OF  JERUSALEM. 


209 


of  the  people  in  all  possible  ways,  they  have  won  the  uni¬ 
versal  confidence  of  Christians,  Mohammedans,  and  Jews, 
even  through  all  Syria.  They  have  even  overcome  in  a  great 
measure  the  aversion  of  the  Druses.  All  this  they  have  done 
in  spite  of  the  strong  antagonisms  in  religious  parties  and  in 
political  factions.  God  grant  that  in  the  future  they  remain 
equally  successful  in  avoiding  the  perilous  rock  of  oriental 
politics ! 

There  yet  remains  something  to  be  said  regarding  the 
Jews  in  their  own  city,  in  addition  to  what  has  been  said 
regarding  their  depressed  condition  elsewhere — in  Safet, 
Tiberias,  Hebron,  and  other  places.  Wilson,1  who,  like  the 
missionary  Ewald  before  him,  has  paid  the  most  careful 
attention  to  this  subject,  and  has  studied  the  condition  of 
the  Jews  not  in  Palestine  alone,  but  throughout  the  East, 
from  Egypt  to  Bombay,  and  who  may  almost  be  said  to 
have  made  this  the  special  interest  of  his  life,  is  our  best 
guide. 

The  Hareth  el  Jehud  with  its  7000  inhabitants,  occupy¬ 
ing  the  very  narrow  tract  which  forms  the  depression  between 
the  Haram  and  Mount  Zion,  has  the  most  wretched  houses, 
and  narrow  lanes,  and  dark  corners,  full  of  filth  and  rubbish. 
In  order  to  show  more  markedly  the  hatred  which  the  Turks 
cherish  towards  the  Jews,  they  have  transferred  their  shambles 
thither.  The  Jews  have  divided  themselves  into  three  parties 
— the  Ashkenazim,  Sephardim,  and  Karaites  or  Separatists.2 

The  Ashkenazim — the  so-called  German,  Russian,  and 
Polish  Jews — are  divided  again  into  sects :  the  Peroshim,  i.e. 
the  Pharisees;  and  the  Khasidim,  i.e.  the  Puritans.  They  are, 
for  the  most  part,  natives  of  Jerusalem;  but  Jewish  devotees 
have  come  to  them  from  every  part  of  Europe,  in  order 
to  die  there.  The  most  of  these  are  Polish  and  German, 
very  few  English.  They  are,  as  a  general  rule,  poor,  and 
live  on  alms  which  are  collected  for  them  all  over,  Europe. 
Still  there  are  some  well-to-do  families  among  them,  who 
live  without  any  ostentation.  The  foreign  Jews  are,  for  the 

1  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible,  ii.  pp.  6G1-686. 

2  Ibid.  i.  pp.  454-461. 


YOL.  IV. 


O 


210 


PALESTINE. 


most  part,  under  the  protection  of  various  consulates,  and 
have  very  little  to  do  with  the  Turkish  Government.  They 
are  without  any  head,  since  they  represent  so  many  nation¬ 
alities,  and  look  up  to  so  many  different  consuls,  the  five 
chief  European  powers  being  represented  in  Jerusalem. 

The  Peroshim  have  two  synagogues,  one  of  which  lay 
long  in  ruins,  and  has  only  been  restored  within  recent 
times  by  contributions  from  all  the  countries  of  the  East  and 
West.  They  comprise  all  the  Jews  who  belonged  to  the 
Ashkenazim  or  so-called  German  Jews  up  to  the  time  when 
the  modern  sect  of  the  Khasidim  arose  in  Galicia.  These 
Peroshim  estimate  their  number  at  about  six  hundred  souls. 

The  Khasidim  are  far  less  numerous,  embracing  but 
about  a  hundred  individuals,  among  whom  persons  of  Safet 
and  Tiberias,  who  are  connected  with  their  fanatical  sect,  are 
accustomed  to  enrol  themselves.  In  their  religious  worship 
they  usually  shout  and  gesticulate  with  a  vehemence  and  an 
enthusiasm  which  run  to  a  wild  excess  :  they  hold  this  to  be 
one  of  the  special  conditions  of  piety,  and  do  not  regard  any 
festival  complete  unless  it  witness  displays  of  this  sort,  which 
are  unknown  among  other  bodies  of  Jews.  Their  spiritual 
head,  whom  they  call  the  Zadik,  i.e.  the  Kighteous,  they 
hold  to  be  a  saint,  and  suppose  him  to  be  in  direct  connection 
with  supernatural  beings.  They  believe  in  a  transmigration 
of  souls,  like  the  Hindus,  study  the  Cabala,  and  regard  the 
Solior  as  their  supreme  authority.  The  high  rabbi,  Moses 
ben  Aaron,  writes  magic  formulae  for  them,  summons  angels, 
and  the  like.  Their  mode  of  life  is,  however,  free  from 
blemish  :  they  have  two  synagogues  and  a  good  printing 
department.  The  latter  has,  within  recent  years,  issued  the 
first  volume  of  a  geography  of  Palestine,  by  a  learned 
Bavarian  Jew,  Rabbi  Joseph  Schwartz. 

The  number  of  the  Sephardim,  the  second  class,  is  much, 
the  largest  in  Jerusalem,  amounting,  according  to  their  own 
statement,  to  seven  hundred  families  and  three  thousand  souls. 
The  most  of  them  trace  their  origin  to  ancestors  who  lived 
in  the  various  provinces  of  the  Turkish  Empire ;  but  many 
of  them  have  lived  as  families  for  several  generations  in  Jeru- 


THE  JEWS  OF  JERUSALEM. 


211 


salem.  Many  trace  tlieir  lineage  back  to  the  Jews  who  were 
driven  from  Spain  by  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  at  the  end  of 
the  fifteenth  century :  they  are  hence  often  termed  Spanish 
Jews.  To  a  great  extent  they  are  subject  to  the  Porte. 
The  chief  rabbi  bears  the  title  of  Hakim  Pasha,  and  enjoys  a 
certain  degree  of  civil  authority  :  he  has  a  guard  before  his 
house,  who  assist  him  in  enforcing  the  taxes :  his  influence 
extends  over  all  the  Sephardim  in  Palestine.  He  himself  lives 
in  a  very  neat,  comfortable,  and  well-appointed  house,  wholly, 
however,  in  the  eastern  style.  Wilson  found  him  very  friendly 
and  communicative  :  his  library  is  valuable,  and  particularly 
rich  in  Hebrew  manuscripts.  He  praised  as  particularly 
valuable  fhe  topography  of  Palestine  written  in  1322,  and 
called  the  Khafthor  va-ferach.  In  two  synagogues,  which 
stand  near  together,  the  Jews,  who  have  come  from  such 
widely  scattered  regions,  meet  for  public  worship. 

The  sect  of  Karaim  or  Karaites  has  but  few  representa¬ 
tives  in  Jerusalem  :  Wilson  found  only  five  men  who  claimed 
to  belong  to  it.  These  called  themselves  interpreters,  though 
the  name  Jerusalemites  is  given  to  them  also,  because  they 
make  public  lamentation,  with  great  apparent  sincerity,  over 
the  fall  of  Zion.  The  Sephardim  despise  them,  and  call  them 
Sadducees, — a  title  which,  however,  they  solemnly  disclaim : 
nor  does  there  seem  to  be  any  good  reason  why  it  should  be 
applied  to  them. 

The  Jews  wdio  come  to  Palestine  are  led  almost  invariably 
by  purposes  of  devotion :  they  despise,  therefore,  every  kind 
of  mechanical  occupation,  and  do  very  little  trading  even  :  a 
few  of  them  keep  little  retail  shops,  and  one  is  a  stone-cutter. 
The  most,  however,  prosecute  studies  in  the  Jewish  law,1  and 
offer  prayers  for  their  brethren  in  the  great  world,  since, 
according  to  the  Talmud,  the  world  will  revert  to  its  primeval 
chaos,  unless  there  be  offered  prayers,  at  least  twice  every 
week,  in  the  four  sacred  cities  of  Palestine — Jerusalem, 
Hebron,  Safet,  and  Tiberias.  On  this  account  the  pious 
Jewish  scholars  are  supported  by  the  gifts  of  their  brethren 
in  the  faith,  which  are  collected  by  agents  from  the  Holy 

1  Ivrafft,  Tupog.  p.  264. 


212 


PALESTINE. 


Land,  but  mainly  by  the  head  rabbi  of  the  Spanish  Jews. 
Krafft  says  that  the  youngest  of  these  remained  four  years 
out  of  Palestine,  and  returned  with  the  sum  of  46,000  francs, 
of  which  two-thirds  were  contributed  by  Spanish  and  one-third 
by  German  Jews.  The  wives  of  these  pious  Hebrews  show 
themselves  all  the  more  industrious  in  household  occupations, 
as  if  in  compensation  for  the  idle  life  led  by  their  husbands  : 
they  care  well  for  their  children  too,  and  stand  upon  a  much 
higher  plane  of  culture  than  the  Moslem  women.  This  the 
Jews  are  very  proud  of,  and  oftentimes  their  pride  takes  the 
form  of  the  sumptuous  apparel  of  their  wives.  Their  chief 
business  is  to  visit  the  Wailing  Place  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Haram — the  Mount  of  the  Holy  House,  as  they  call  it ;  and 
the  stones  which  are  there  the  Jews  universally  consider  the 
work  of  their  own  distant  ancestors.  The  Mosque  of  Omar 
is  to  them  identical  with  their  own  temple  :  el-Aksa  they  call 
the  Midrash  (i.e.  the  college)  of  Solomon;  and  the  Aurea 
Porta  on  the  east  side  of  the  Haram  they  term  the  Gate  of 
Grace, 


NORTHERN  JUDJ5A. 

- ♦ - 

CHAPTER  I. 

THE  REGION  IMMEDIATELY  ADJOINING  JERUSALEM. 


DISCURSION  I. 


BETHANY  AND  ABU  DIS,  ON  THE  EAST  OF  THE  CITY — THE  WILDERNESS  OF 
JOHN  THE  BAPTIST — AIN  KARIM,  THE  CONVENT  OF  ST  JOHN,  AND  DEIR 
EL  MASALLABEII  ON  THE  WEST. 


YER  the  Mount  of  Olives  there  runs  a  shallow 
wadi  for  a  distance  of  three-quarters  of  an  hour 
to  Bethany.  The  road  would  not  measure  two 
Roman  miles,  and  corresponds  well  with  the 
fifteen  stadia  or  furlongs1  which  are  mentioned  in  John  xi. 
18.  On  the  west-north- west  of  the  village  lies  a  hill ;  a 
little  south  is  a  very  deep  narrow  wadi  or  gorge  running 
towards  the  east.  Beyond  this,  and  higher  than  Bethany, 
lies,  at  a  distance  of  twenty  minutes,  the  deserted  village  of 
Abu  Dis,  the  Betabudison  of  Tobler,2  and  according  to 
Schubert,  the  Bahurim  of  2  Sam.  xvi.  5-13.  This  place 
Brocardus3  mentions  as  a  mere  castle  lying  on  a  high  hill 
about  two  bow-shots  west  of  Bethany.  The  latter  is  now  an 
impoverished  village  of  only  about  twenty  huts,  with  here  and 
there  large  bevelled  stones  strewing  the  ground,  indicating 
that  once  it  was  a  place  of  importance.  The  monks  still 
point  out  the  house  of  Mary  and  of  Simon  the  leper,  as  well 


1  F.  IV.  Krummacher,  Evangel.  Kalender ,  1851,  pp.  75-84. 

2  Tobler,  in  Ausland ,  1848,  p.  79  ;  v.  Schubert,  Reise,  iii.  p.  70. 

3  Brocardi  Terr.  Sctrn.  Descr.  in  Novus  Orbis  Sim.  Grynsei ,  fob  512. 

213 


214 


PALESTINE. 


as  the  grave  of  Lazarus.  The  latter  has  given  the  name 
el-Aziriyeh  (the  Arabic  form  of  Lazarus)  to  the  village. 
The  reputed  tomb  is  a  cellar-like  excavation  in  the  centre  of 
the  village,  hewn  out  of  the  limestone,  and  entered  by  a  flight 
of  twenty-six  steps.  Robinson  remarks  that  it  has  by  no 
means  the  aspect  or  the  shape  of  ancient  graves.  Besides,  the 
testimony  of  John  xi.  31,  38,  condemns  the  monkish  legend 
conclusively,  for  the  tomb  is  distinctly  said  to  be  beyond  the 
limits  of  the  village.  Regarding  the  identity  of  Aziriyeh  and 
the  ancient  Bethany  there  is  not  a  doubt :  the  modern  name 
has  been  commonly  supposed  to  be  of  Moslem  origin ;  but 
Tobler1  has  shown,  from  the  Life  of  Euthymius ,  that  the  place 
as  early  as  in  the  sixth  century  bore  the  name  Lazariotse.  This 
Avord  passed  in  the  course  of  time  into  the  present  Arabic  form 
which  designates  the  site  of  the  ancient  Bethany.  The  author 
of  the  Life  of  Euthymius  (Cvrillus)  mentions  the  village  Abu 
His  under  the  name  Bet-Abudison,  as  having  been  the  home 
of  the  saint  about  the  year  500.  It  was  first  visited  by  Scholtz 
in  1821,  and  subsequently  by  Tobler. 

The  vault  in  which  Lazarus  Avas  buried  is  mentioned  in 
the  Bordeaux  Itinerary  as  early  as  in  333  ;  and  only  seventy 
years  subsequently,  Jerome  speaks  of  a  church  which  Avas 
built  over  the  Amult,  and  Avhich  Antoninus  Martyr2  calls  a 
Monumentum  Lazari.  After  the  crusaders  had  possessed 
themselves  of  this  region,  the  Church  of  St  Lazarus  Avas 
conveyed  to  the  canon  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  Queen 
Melesinda3  founded  a  large  monastery  at  Bethany,  and  set  her 
sister  Juveta  over  it  as  abbess.  Bethany  being  very  much 
exposed  to  Beduin  attacks,  in  the  year  1142  a  large  tower 
was  erected  there  at  great  expense,  and  a  strong  garrison 
established.  In  1254  the  Pope  conveyed  this  castle  to  the 
Knights  of  St  John.  The  large  hewn  stones  which  are  still 
seen  may  be  the  remains  of  the  tower  erected  by  Melesinda, 
it  having  been,  according  to  William  of  Tyre,  turrim  muni- 

1  Scholtz,  Reise,  p.  210 ;  Tobler,  ms.  communication,  1847. 

2  Itinerar.  B.  Antonini  M.  p.  13. 

3  Willermi  Tyr.  Archiepisc.  II  is  tori  x,  lib.  xv.  fol.  887  ;  Sebastiano 
Pauli,  Codice  diplomalico ,  etc.,  Lucca,  p.  443. 


DISTRICT  ADJOINING  JERUSALEM. 


215 


iissimam  quadris  et  politis  lapidibus.  A  church,  which  Felix 
Fabri  found  existing  at  Bethany  in  his  day,  was  subse¬ 
quently  transformed  into  a  mosque,  but  at  present  is  a  heap 
of  ruins. 

Tobler  has  visited1  several  places,  both  on  the  east  and  on 
the  west  sides  of  Jerusalem  ;  but  the  progress  of  discovery  in 
the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the  city  has  not  advanced 
much  beyond  what  it  was  when  Robinson  confessed  that 
hardly  a  commencement  had  been  made  in  this  quarter,  even 
the  biblical  Arimathsea  and  the  Emmaus  of  Jesus’  last  walk 
with  the  disciples  not  being  identified  with  absolute  certainty. 

Among  the  places  touched  by  Tobler  in  his  explorations  is 
the  Convent  of  St  John,  lying  one  and  a  half  hours  west  of 
Jerusalem,  and  half  as  far  as  Deir  el  Masallabeh,  or  the  Con¬ 
vent  of  the  Holy  Cross.  The  latter  bears  the  usual  name  of 
Ain  Karim,2  and  lies  in  a  fertile  valley  surrounded  by  pleasant 
hills,  the  building  being  the  conspicuous  centre  of  the  land¬ 
scape.  Russegger  says3  that  here  grow  the  finest  olives  and 
grapes,  and  that  they  have  a  reputation  through  the  whole 
land.  Tischendorf 4  visited  the  place,  and  found  it  inhabited 
by  Franciscans,  all  Spaniards  :  he  says  that  the  convent  owes 
its  present  prosperity  to  the  kindness  of  Louis  xiv.,  and  that 
it  is  the  finest  of  all  the  Latin  religious  houses  in  Palestine. 
The  church  connected  with  it  stands,  according  to  the  legend, 
directly  over  the  spot  where  John  the  Baptist  was  born ;  and 
in  this  wilderness,  and  directly  around  the  fine  spring  which 
here  breaks  from  the  ground,  the  preacher  is  believed  to  have 
prepared  himself  for  his  career  in  the  district  beyond  the 
Jordan.  The  walls  of  the  church  are  richly  inlaid  with  marble, 
and  adorned  with  gold  and  silk :  a  marble  staircase  descends 
to  the  caverns  where  John  is  said  to  have  first  seen  the  light. 
Over  the  altar  is  the  inscription,  “  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God!” 
Skilfully  wrought  bas-reliefs  adorn  the  walls  of  the  room,  and 
illustrate  the  history  of  John  from  his  infancy  to  his  beliead- 

1  Tobler,  in  Auslancl ,  1848,  No.  20,  p.  79. 

2  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  p.  267. 

3  Russegger,  Reise,  iii.  p.  113. 

4  Tischendorf,  Reise ,  ii.  p.  70. 


216 


PALESTINE. 


ing.  The  most  costly  decoration  is  over  one  of  the  altars, 
and  is  a  painting  of  John,  executed  by  Murillo.  Buckingham 
alludes  particularly  to  the  roses  which  grow  in  the  valley  in 
which  the  convent  stands;1  and  Sieber  declares  the  spot  to 
be  one  of  the  loveliest  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Jerusalem. 


DISCUSSION  II. 

PLACES  DIRECTLY  NORTH  OF  JERUSALEM. 

Although  much  remains  to  be  done  in  this  direction,  as 
well  as  on  the  east  and  west  of  the  Holy  City,  yet  the  masterly 
method  introduced  by  Robinson  and  Smith,  so  fully  appre¬ 
ciated  by  Olshausen'2  in  his  Critique ,  makes  the  confession 
only  just,  that  an  excellent  beginning  has  been  made  in  this 
direction.  I  have  already  alluded  to  the  great  obstacles  which 
stood  in  the  way,  to  the  mass  of  idle  legends  which  had  to  be 
annihilated,  to  the  confused  accounts  of  preceding  hasty  and 
ill-informed  travellers 3  which  had  to  be  rectified,  before  the 
two  Americans  could  have  a  clear  field,  and  begin  what  might 
be  called  a  satisfactory,  and  certainly  a  thoroughly  scientific, 
investigation  of  the  country  north  of  Jerusalem. 

Directly  north  of  the  city,  and  at  a  distance  of  twenty-five 
minutes,  is  the  high  land  known  as  Scopus,4  whence  is  gained 
even  now  an  imposing  view  of  Jerusalem,  with  its  towers  and 
minarets.  Only  a  quarter  of  an  hour  towards  the  north-east 
from  this  point  may  be  seen  in  the  valley  the  small  and  little 
known  village  of  el-Isawiyeh :  northward,  in  the  distance,  and 
east  of  the  road  to  Nablus,  er-Ram  (the  ancient  Ramah) 
may  be  descried.  Going  northward  it  is  necessary  to  cross 
Wadi  Suleim  before  reaching  the  high  land  on  which  lies  the 

1  Buckingham,  Travels ,  p.  355  ;  Sieber,  Reise,  p.  82.  Comp.  Richter, 
Wallfalirt  in  Morgenland,  pp.  36,  37  ;  and  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii. 
pp.  325,  333,  469,  ii.  2,  10. 

2  Olshausen,  Rev.  above  quoted,  p.  145 ;  and  Robinson,  Bib.  Research. 
ii.  1  et  sq. 

3  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  435. 

4  Ibid.  i.  pp.  275,  579  ;  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  p.  35. 


DISTRICT  ADJOINING  JERUSALEM. 


217 


village  of  Anata,  at  a  distance  of  an  hour  and  a  quarter  from 
Jerusalem.  This  corresponds  with  the  statement  of  Josephus, 
that  Anathoth  was  twenty  stadia  or  furlongs  from  the  city. 
This  was  the  place  where  the  prophet  Jeremiah  was  horn, 
and  lay  within  the  domain  of  Benjamin  (Jer.  i.  1,  xxxii.  8). 

The  time  for  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  had  not  fully 
come  when  Isaiah  was  able  to  announce  that  the  Assyrian 
army,  which  was  approaching  from  the  north,  should  be 
driven  from  their  camp  by  the  hand  of  pestilence  (Isa.  xxxvii. 
36).  The  approach  of  the  army  is  announced,  though  not  in 
strategical  language,  by  the  prophet ;  and  his  words,  though 
uttered  in  the  manner  of  a  seer,1  have  a  great  deal  of  topo¬ 
graphical  value,  and  aid  much  in  giving  a  clear  view  of  the 
district  north  of  Jerusalem,  where  the  Assyrians  had  pitched 
their  camp  (Isa.  x.  28-33):  u  He  (i.e.  the  Assyrian)  is  come  to 
Aiath,  he  is  passed  to  Migron ;  at  Michmash  he  hath  laid  up 
his  carriages  :  they  have  taken  up  lodging  at  Geba ;  Hamah 
is  afraid;  Gibeah  of  Saul  is  fled.  Lift  up  thy  voice,  O 
daughter  of  Gallim ;  cause  it  to  be  heard  unto  Laish,  O  poor 
Anathoth.  Madmenah  is  removed ;  the  inhabitants  of  Gebim 
gather  themselves  to  flee.  As  yet  shall  he  remain  at  Nob 
that  day ;  he  shall  shake  his  hand  against  the  mount  of  the 
daughter  of  Zion,  the  hill  of  Jerusalem.” 

Of  the  places  here  mentioned,  Anata,  the  ancient  Ana¬ 
thoth,  displays  in  the  wall  and  some  great  hewn  stones  the 
traces  of  its  former  importance :  even  a  few  pillars  were  seen 
by  Robinson  among  the  ruins.  The  present  village  show’s 
but  a  few  huts,  and  shelters  scarcely  a  hundred  inhabitants. 
On  the  hill  above  the  town  there  are  corn-fields,  surrounded 
by  fig  and  olive  trees :  in  the  neighbourhood  a  kind  of  build¬ 
ing  stone  is  found,  which  is  very  much  prized  in  J erusalem. 
A  fine  view  is  gained  from  this  place  over  the  whole  eastern 
part  of  the  territory  of  Benjamin,  the  course  of  the  Jordan, 
and  the  north  end  of  the  Dead  Sea.  The  Ramali  alluded 
to  by  Isaiah  as  crying  out  in  terror  lies  on  a  cone-shaped 
hill  towards  the  north-north-west,  where  the  village  er-Ram 
is  now  found;  Gibeah  of  Saul  (now  Tell  el  Ful),  with  its 
1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  463  et  sq. 


218 


PALESTINE. 


high  heaps  of  stones,  is  more  to  the  south,  while  Geba  (the 
modern  Jeba)  lies  directly  northward,  where  the  Assyrian 
army  encamped.  The  places  mentioned  by  the  names  of 
Madrnenah,  Gebim,  and  Nob,  lay  south  of  Anathoth,  and 
therefore  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Jerusalem  :  the  site  of 
Nob  is  indicated  with  great  exactness  by  the  expression,  “He 
shall  shake  his  hand  against  the  mount  of  the  daughter  of 
Zion,  the  hill  of  Jerusalem.”  These  places  have  not  been 
identified  either  by  Robinson1  or  by  Wolcott,2  who  have  care¬ 
fully  gone  over  the  same  ground.  Nob  is  the  place  men¬ 
tioned  in  1  Sam.  xxi.  1  and  xxii.  19,  and  the  place  which  in 
the  time  of  Saul  was  consecrated  by  the  presence  of  the 
tabernacle  ;  the  spot,  too,  where  the  sword  of  Goliath  was 
preserved  ;  the  town  to  which  David  fled  for  refuge,  and  in 
which  the  priests  were  put  to  death  by  Saul,  in  consequence 
of  the  kindness  of  Abimelech  to  David. 

1.  From  Anata  by  tociy  of  Hdsm eh  to  Jeba ,  the  Geba  of  Isaiah, 
and  not  the  Gibeah  of  Said :  the  Graves  of  the  AmaleMtes. 

From  Anata  the  road  runs  across  the  next  two  wadis  to 
the  village  of  Hasmeh,  which  lies  south  of  Wadi  Farah,  on  an 
eminence  very  similar  in  general  character  to  that  of  Anata, 
but  not  so  high.  The  village  has  massive  houses,  but  at  the 
time  of  Robinson’s  visit  they  were  empty,  the  people  having 
fled  for  fear  of  the  conscription  to  the  wilderness  of  the 
Jordan.  The  whole  district  consists  of  a  succession  of  deep, 
rough  valleys,  running  down  to  the  valley  of  the  Jordan,  with 
broad  ridges  between  them,  which  sometimes  terminate  on 
the  east  in  high,  precipitous  cliffs.  The  village  of  Hasmeh 
or  Hizmeh  has  been  conjectured  to  be  the  same  as  the 
Asmaveth  of  Neh.  vii.  28,  which  is  mentioned  in  immediate 
connection  with  Anathoth.3  The  road  taken  by  Robinson 
runs  from  the  latter  place  northward,  but  does  not  follow 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  464,  579. 

2  Wolcott,  Jerusalem  and  its  Environs ,  in  Bib.  Sacra ,  1843,  pp. 
37,  38. 

3  Comp.  Krafft,  ms.  communication ;  and  Bartlett,  Walks,  etc.,  pp. 
240-243. 


DISTRICT  ADJOINING  JERUSALEM. 


219 


the  height  of  the  ridge,  which  extends  onward  as  far  as  to 
Samaria,  hut  takes  a  course  lying  east  of  the  true  watershed, 
and  crosses  the  upper  course  of  a  succession  of  wadis,  whose 
sides  are  generally  so  steep  that  it  was  impossible  to  pass 
tap  and  down  without  dismounting.  The  stone  found  there 
is  invariably  limestone;  but  the  level  uplands  are  fertile, 
although  it  is  only  here  and  there  that  cultivated  fields  are 
seen.  It  is  farther  eastward  that  the  fearful  desert  begins, 
which  extends  down  towards  the  Jordan  valley.  It  was  in 
this  that  the  Parah  of  Benjamin,1  mentioned  in  Josh,  xviii.  23, 
may  have  lain,  a  trace  of  which  name  Buckingham  discovered 
in  this  neighbourhood. 

After  crossing  Wadi  Farah,  one  comes  to  the  height  of 
land  on  which  stands  Jeba.2  The  place  is  small,  and  lies  in 
ruins,  the  hewn  stones  of  which  indicate  the  importance  of 
the  site  in  ancient  times.  North-east  of  Jeba  may  be  seen 
the  village  of  Eummon,  lying  in  a  very  striking  position 
upon  the  summit  of  a  cone-shaped  hill,  where  the  last  rem¬ 
nant  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin  took  refuge  when  they  had 
been  pursued  from  Gibeah  by  the  combined  tribes  (Judg. 
xx.  45,  47,  and  xxi.).  This  Jeba  is  unquestionably  the  Geba 
mentioned  in  the  vision  of  Isaiah ;  but  it  is  not  the  Gibeah 
of  Saul,  whose  name  might  indeed  be  easily  interchanged 
with  it,  but  which  must  be  sought  nearer  Jerusalem. 

Although  south  of  er-Ram  there  is  no  place  discovered 
which  bears  a  name  kindred  in  form  to  that  of  Gibeah, 
yet  there  is  no  doubt,  on  grounds  considered  valid,  that 
the  Gibeah  which  was  the  birth-place  of  Saul  is  to  be 
recognised  in  the  modern  Tuleil  el  Ful  or  Fulil,  a  good 
hour’s  distance  north  of  Jerusalem.  These  grounds  have 
been  well  stated  by  Robinson3  in  the  Bibliotheca  Sacra.  The 
objections  which  have  been  brought  by  Gross  against  the 
identity  of  the  Gibeah  of  Saul  and  Jeba  have  been  fully 
confirmed  by  the  discoveries  of  the  American  traveller. 

1  Rodiger,  Review  above  quoted,  No.  71,  p.  564. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  440. 

s  Bib.  Sacra ,  1844,  vol.  i. ;  E.  Robinson,  on  Gibeah  of  Saul  and 
Rachel’s  Sepulchre. 


220 


PALESTINE. 


Josephus  alludes  twice  to  Gibeah  of  Saul,  once  as  being 
twenty,  once  as  being  thirty,  stadia  from  Jerusalem.  But 
Bam  ah,  according  to  the  same  authority,  was  forty  stadia 
away  from  the  capital :  Gibeah  must  have  been  much  nearer 
than  Bamah,  and  Jeba  lies  only  a  half-hour’s  distance  east¬ 
ward  from  er-Bam.1  The  route  which  Jerome  states  was 
taken  by  Paula  indicates  that  she  passed  by  Gibeah ;  but  the 
place  was  so  near  to  Scopus,  that  it  could  have  been  no  other 
than  that  now  occupied  by  Tell  el  Fulil. 

Josephus,  in  his  account  of  the  approach  of  Titus,  speaks 
of  a  village  called  Gabath  Saul,  thirty  stadia  from  Jerusalem, 
and  says  that  here  the  work  of  reconnoitering  went  on  over 
the  high  plain  of  Scopus.  This  plateau  extends  northward  to 
the  hill  bearing  the  name  at  present  Tuleil  or  Tell  el  Ful.  On 
the  west  side  of  this  cone-shaped  eminence  there  is  a  gentle 
decline  towards  a  low  plain,  which  extends  away  towards  the 
north  and  east  as  far  as  the  hill  on  which  lies  er-Bam,  and 
towards  the  west  to  the  broad  and  high  plateau  where  el-Jib 
or  Gibeon  is  situated.  Where  the  roads  running  north  and 
north-west  come  together  is  a  Ao<£o?,  as  at  Josephus’  time,  i.e. 
a  cone-shaped  hill,  called  Tuleil  el  Fulil,  quite  isolated  and 
alone.  It  marks  unquestionably  the  birth-place  of  Saul.  A 
little  to  the  west  are  to  be  seen  old  foundation  walls,  and 
some  massive  hewn  stones,  the  remains,  it  would  seem,  of  an 
ancient  city.  Captain  Newbold2  wras  led  to  suppose  in  1846 
that  the  place  was  one  known  by  the  Arabs  as  Kabur  ul 
Amalikeh,  or  Graves  of  the  Amalekites.  The  resemblance 
to  the  most  ancient  graves  in  the  Egyptian  pyramids  led  him 
to  this  conjecture,  for  he  connected  them  with  the  Hyksos, 
or  shepherd  kings,  the  so-called  sons  of  Amalek.3  A  later 
authority  has  identified  their  builders  with  the  Sheta,  a  branch 
of  the  Bephaim,  wdio,  after  their  invasion  of  Egypt,  removed 
to  Palestine. 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  440. 

2  Asiatic  Soc.  Ap.  21,  in  Athenaeum ,  1849,  No.  1124,  p.  491. 

3  F.  Corbeaux,  in  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Soc.  of  Literature ,  1850, 
No.  21,  pp.  319,  221. 


DISTRICT  ADJOINING  JERUSALEM. 


221 


2.  Route  to  Mukhinas,  Michmash ;  the  rock  pass  of  Wadi 

es  Suweinit. 

From  Jeba,  the  Geba  of  Isaiah,  the  road  runs  northward 
to  the  village  of  Mukhmas,1  in  the  name  of  which  the  Mich¬ 
mash  of  the  ancient  Israelite  history  has  perpetuated  itself. 
Before  reaching  it,  however,  it  is  necessary  to  pass  down  the 
steep  slope  leading  to  Wadi  Suweinit,  which  forces  its  way 
in  an  imposing  manner  between  high  walls  of  rock.  This 
wadi  comes  from  the  north-west,  running  south-eastward 
from  Beitin  and  el-Bireh,  and  becoming  constantly  more 
grand  and  wild,  till  it  unites  with  Wadis  Fuwar  and  Farah, 
and  forms  the  Wadi  Kelt  spoken  of  in  a  previous  part 
of  this  work,  which  issues  into  the  Jordan  valley  near 
J  ericho. 

This  steep  valley  is  almost  unquestionably  the  rocky 
passage  which  Isaiah  mentions  as  existing  between  Michmash 
and  Geba  :  the  place  corresponds  well  with  the  prophet’s  few 
but  significant  words.  In  the  valley,  on  the  left  of  the  route 
which  Bobinson  took,  there  lie  two  isolated  hills,  cone-shaped, 
and  with  rocky  sides,  which  once  may  have  had  much  sharper 
tops  than  at  present  is  the  case.  They  seem  to  indicate  the 
Bozez  and  Seneh  where  the  Philistines  took  up  their  post, 
and  near  which  Jonathan  accomplished  that  deed  of  heroism 
which  is  recorded  in  1  Sam.  xiii.  23,  xiv.  1,  4,  5.  The 
Philistines  had  advanced  as  far  as  to  Michmash,  and  pitched 
their  camp  there,  and  from  that  point  three  of  their  bands 
had  issued  to  desolate  the  land  ;  one  on  the  road  to  Ophra, 
another  on  the  way  to  Beth-horon,  and  still  another  on  the 
route  which  runs  to  the  desert  valley  of  Zeboim  (1  Sam. 
xiii.  16-18).  They  were  all  driven  back,  in  consequence  of 
Jonathan’s  daring  achievement,  to  Aijalon  (1  Sam.  xiv.  31). 
This  valley  appears  to  have  been  in  earlier  times  the  barrier 
between  the  tribes  of  Ephraim  and  Benjamin :  for  Geba,  on 
the  south  side,  was  on  the  frontier  between  Judah  and  Ben¬ 
jamin  (2  Kings  xxiii.  8)  ;  while  Bethel,  on  the  north  side,  but 
farther  west,  lay  on  the  southern  boundary  of  Ephraim  (Josh. 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  441  et  sq. 


222 


PALESTINE. 


xvi.  1,  2,  xviii.  13).  From  this  Wadi  Suweinit,  a  quarter  of 
an  hour  conducts  one  to  the  slope  on  which  Michmash  lies : 
the  village  lies  about  three  and  a  half  hours  from  Jerusalem. 
Eusebius  and  Jerome  state  it  to  be  almost  nine  Homan  miles 
from  the  city.  Once  it  seems  to  have  been  well  fortified, 
but  now  it  is  more  ruined  than  Anathotli. 

3.  liocid  to  Deir  Diwan.  Efforts  to  discover  the  site  of  Ai : 
Ruins  of  Medinet  Chai  or  Gai  (Ai),  and  of  Geha,  on  the 
steep  icall  of  Wadi  es  Suweinit. 

From  Mukhmas  the  road  runs  northward  over  rolling 
land,  and  through  a  wadi  which  passes  from  Deir  Diwan 
southward,  and  enters  Wadi  Suweinit.  This  valley  is  full 
of  graves  ;  and  as  it  narrows  in  approaching  Deir  Diwan,1 
it  begins  to  display  traces  of  human  habitations.  Robinson 
and  Smith  hoped  to  be  able  to  discover  in  this  neighbourhood 
some  indications  of  the  once  celebrated  city  of  Ai,  and  were 
led  to  believe  that  the  district  around  the  village  of  Kudeirah 
wras  the  place  best  adapted  to  institute  investigations.  They 
were  unable  to  discover  anything  which  could  confirm  their 
hopes,  and  at  length  abandoned  the  attempt  to  discover  the 
site  of  Ai.  Wilson'2  was  equally  unsuccessful  in  subsequent 
attempts. 

Deir  Diwan  is  itself  a  large  and  prosperous  village,  lying 
in  an  uneven  rocky  basin,  and  surrounded  by  hills,  on  which 
grow  corn,  olives,  and  fig  trees.  There  is  not  a  trace  of 
antiquity  to  be  seen  there,  howTever. 

After  his  return  from  Jeba,  Robinson  learned,  but  too 
late  to  make  personal  investigations,  that  east  of  this  place 
there  are  important  ruins.3  Dr  Ivrafft4  made  them  the  object 
of  subsequent  investigation,  and  believes  that  he  has  dis¬ 
covered  there  the  site  of  the  stronghold  of  Ai.  The  place 
iioav  bears  the  name  Chai  or  Gai :  it  lies  forty  minutes  east 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  442  et  sq.,  578  et  sq. 

2  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  p.  287. 

3  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  440. 

4  Krafft,  ms.  communication,  1848  ;  Strauss,  Sinai  und  Golgotha, 
p.  393. 


DISTRICT  ADJOINING  JERUSALEM. 


223 


from  Jeba  (the  Geba  of  Isaiah).1  This  place  he  thinks 
answers  to  the  requisitions2  of  Josh.  vii.  2,  where  Ai  is  said 
to  have  lain  upon  a  height  east  of  Bethel ;  and  to  those  of 
Josh.  viii.  1—35,  where  the  account  is  given  of  the  capture 
of  the  city  by  stratagem.  Robinson,  however,  has  replied  to 
Krafft’s  conjecture,  and  pronounces  strongly  against  it.  Tie 
calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  two  places  Bethel  and  Ai 
were  so  near  together,  that  Abraham  erected  a  tent  in  the 
valley  between  them  (Gen.  xii.  8).  At  the  time  that  the  first 
force  was  sent  up  from  the  Jordan  to  attack  Ai,  and  was 
driven  back,  the  people  of  Bethel  all  joined  in  the  pursuit. 
Still  they  were  not  so  near  as  to  prevent  Joshua  from  send¬ 
ing  a  large  force  to  the  rear  of  Ai  without  being  perceived 
by  those  of  Bethel.  Robinson3  shows  that  the  site  of  Ai  con¬ 
jectured  by  Krafft  is  at  least  eight  miles  from  that  of  Bethel, 
and  is,  moreover,  connected  with  it  by  a  circuitous  way.  And 
it  must  be  confessed  that  the  hypothesis  of  Robinson,  pro¬ 
pounded  with  great  modesty  and  caution,  that  Ivudeirah  near 
Beitin  is  the  site  of  Ai,  is  much  more  probable  than  that 
advanced  by  Krafft. 

At  a  subsequent  period  Ai  was  rebuilt,  for  in  Ezra  ii.  28 
we  learn  that  two  hundred  and  twenty-three  men  returned 
to  Bethel  and  Ai  from  the  captivity  ;  and  Nehemiah  (xi.  31) 
alludes  in  like  manner  to  the  children  of  Benjamin,  who 
lived  in  Michmash  Aija,  i.e.  Ai  and  Bethel.  At  the  time  of 
Eusebius  and  Jerome,  a  few  scattered  ruins  of  this  place 
could  be  seen  not  far  to  the  south-east  of  Bethel.1 

1  Krafft,  Topngr.  Pref.  p.  ix. 

2  Yon  Raumer,  Pal.  p.  177. 

3  Robinson,  in  Bib.  Sacra,  vol.  v.  No.  xvii.  Feb.  1848,  p.  93. 

4  Robinson  lias  discussed  Krafft’s  conjecture  ably,  though  somewhat 
curtly,  in  Bib.  Research,  iii.  288,  rejecting  it  totally ;  and  there  is  now 
no  uniformity  among  travellers  in  their  judgments  respecting  the  loca¬ 
tion  of  Ai.  Van  der  Yelde  (in  conjunction  with  Mr  Finn)  decides  con¬ 
fidently  that  its  site  is  Tell  el  Ajar,  s.E.  from  Beitin,  and  on  the  Wadi 
el  Mutyyah  {Mem.  p.  282).  Stanley  conjectures  that  it  was  at  the  head 
of  Wadi  Harith  {S.  and  Pal.  202). — Ed. 


224 


PALESTINE. 


4.  From  Deir  Diivcin  to  Taiyibeh  :x  conjectural  site  of  Ophrah. 

Beitin  lies  only  an  hour  north-west  from  Deir  Diwan, 
Taiyibeh  a  little  farther,  an  hour  and.  a  half  towards  the 
north-east.  The  steep  sides  of  Wadi  el  Mutyah  must  be 
descended,  and  the  valley,  itself  three  hundred  feet  deep,  be 
crossed,  in  order  to  reach  Wadi  el  Ain,  which  comes  down 
from  the  north,  and  which  takes  its  name  from  a  fine  spring 
on  the  west  side.  It  is  an  hour’s  distance  from  this  spring 
to  Taiyibeh.  The  village  forms  the  crown  of  a  cone-shaped 
hill  resting  on  a  high  ridge  of  land.  On  the  summit,  the 
highest  thus  far  reached  north  of  Anathoth,2  lie  the  ruins  of 
a  tower,  as  in  so  many  similar  villages,  under  whose  protec¬ 
tion  the  houses  seem  to  stand,  while  olive  and  fig  trees  cast 
their  shade  around.  A  broad  panorama  is  seen  from  the 
tower,  comprehending  the  Ghor  of  the  Jordan,  the  gorges  of 
the  Zerka,  and  even  the  heights  of  the  Bilkah.  Southward 
the  Frank  Mountain  can  be  descried.  The  landscape  is  in 
the  main  destitute  of  greenness,  but  it  makes  a  deep  impres¬ 
sion  upon  the  observer.  Only  three  hundred  paces  from  the 
village,  on  a  point  of  the  hill,  lie  the  ruins  of  the  small 
Church  of  St  George.  All  the  inhabitants  of  the  place  are 
Christians,  and  though  exempt  from  military  conscription,  are 
compelled  to  pay  a  very  heavy  tax  to  the  Turkish  Govern¬ 
ment.  This  amounts  to  no  less  than  about  1900  Spanish 
dollars  yearly.  The  entire  population  comprises  but  three  or 
four  hundred  souls,  of  whom  only  twenty-five  are  ablebodied 
men,  who  are  liable  to  tax. 

Bobinson  thinks  that  the  situation  of  this  place  is  so 
admirable,  that  it  could  not  fail  to  have  been  the  site  of  some 
important  place  in  past  times,  and  conjectures  that  it  wras  the 
Ophrah  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  of  which  Eusebius  and 
Jerome  say  that  it  lay  five  Roman  miles  east  of  Bethel.  This 
seems  to  correspond  quite  as  closely  with  the  situation  of 
Taiyibeh  as  with  that  of  the  place  thought  by  Krafft  to  be 
Ophrah,  a  half-hour  south  of  Gai. 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  443  et  sq. 

2  Strauss,  Sinai  und  Golgotha ,  p.  395. 


DISTRICT  ADJOINING  JERUSALEM. 


225 


The  situation  of  this  place  is  no  less  interesting  to  the 
student  of  the  New  Testament  than  of  the  Old,  if  it  is  to 
be  considered,  as  many  suppose,  identical  with  that  city  of 
Ephraim  which  Jesus  chose  as  a  place  of  refuge  when  the 
high  priests  were  pursuing  Him  and  wishing  to  put  Him  to 
death  (John  xi.  54).  This  city  of  Eplirem  or  Ephraim  is 
justly  considered  identical  with  the  Ephron  or  Ephraim  of 
2  Chron.  xiii.  19,- — a  place  which  Abijah  king  of  Judah 
wrested  from  Jeroboam,  together  with  the  city  of  Bethel, 
which  was  not  far  away.  Josephus  tells  us  that  Vespasian 
came  from  Caesarea  to  the  mountains,  and  conquered  the  ruler 
of  Gophnah  and  Acrabah,  together  with  the  small  cities  of 
Bethel  and  Ephraim.  This  is  doubtless  the  Ephraim  or 
Ephron  which  Jerome  locates  twenty  miles  north  of  Jerusalem. 
In  the  book  of  Joshua  (xviii.  23)  a  similar  name  (Ophrah)  is 
mentioned  in  Benjamin,  which  corresponds,  however,  to  the 
Ophrah  mentioned  in  1  Sam.  xiii.  17,  five  miles  east  of 
Bethel.  Both  seem  to  refer  to  the  same  place.  These  places 
— the  Ephraim  or  Ephron  and  the  Ophrah  of  the  Old  Testa¬ 
ment,  and  the  Ephraim  of  the  New — all  appear,  therefore,  to 
have  been  in  the  wilderness,  about  five  miles  east  of  Bethel 
and  twenty  north  of  Jerusalem,  and  therefore  to  confirm 
Robinson’s1  conjecture  that  the  site  is  now  occupied  by  the 
village  of  Taiyibeh.  From  this  place  runs  the  road  which 
Jesus  took  as  He  crossed  the  Jordan  for  the  last  time,  and 
entered  the  land  of  Persea  (Matt.  xix.  1 ;  Mark  x.  1). 

5.  From  Taiyibeh  to  Beitin  or  Bethel. 

From  Taiyibeh  Robinson  turned  back  south-westwardly, 
reaching  Beitin,2  two  hours  distant,  and  on  the  main  road 
from  Jerusalem  to  Nablus.  The  only  place  on  the  way  is 
el- Alya,  lying  on  a  high  plateau,  a  village  of  only  a  handful 
of  houses,  near  a  fountain  known  by  the  same  name. 

Through  the  basin  here  seen  surrounded  by  hills  there 
run  two  valleys  from  the  north,  which  unite  farther  soutli- 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Sacra,  vol.  ii.  1845,  pp.  398,  400. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  pp.  447  etsq.  and  575  ;  Bartlett,  Walks , 
etc.,  pp.  242,  243  ;  The  Christian  in  Palestine,  Tab.  xxix.  p.  122. 

VOL.  IV.  P 


226 


PALESTINE. 


ward,  and  pursue  tlien  a  common  course  towards  the  south-east. 
Between  these  two  valleys,  on  the  high  ridge  of  land,  lie  the 
extensive  ruins  of  Beitin.  The  houses  are  in  ruins,  and 
deserted,  and  only  serve  as  a  protection  at  night  for  herds 
and  flocks.  The  prospect  from  the  place  is  a  limited  one : 
at  the  south-west  only  Bireh  (Beeroth)  is  to  be  seen,  while 
southward  the  most  remote  village  is  Shafat.  Only  eight 
minutes’  walk  to  the  south-east  of  Beitin  are  the  ruins  of  a 
small  castle,  Burj  Beitin  or  Makhrun,  a  square  fortress  of 
hewm  stone,  with  a  Greek  church  in  the  middle,  and  with 
scattered  pillars  here  and  there,  out  of  one  of  which  a  cross  is 
hewn.  Ten  minutes  farther  south-east,  on  the  highest  part 
of  the  ridge,  there  is  a  second  and  larger  church,  in  the 
greatest  state  of  desolation,  however.  The  ruins  of  Beitin 
occupy  the  whole  upper  part  of  the  eminence,  which  slopes 
off  towards  the  south-east,  where  several  roads  meet.  They 
cover  a  space  of  three  or  four  acres,  and  consist  mainly  of 
foundation  walls;  partly,  however,  of  real  remains  of  ancient 
structures.  On  the  highest  point  stand  the  ruins  of  a  castel¬ 
lated  tower ;  at  the  southernmost  extremity  of  the  wTalls  there 
may  be  seen  the  ruins  of  a  Greek  church,  which  appears  to 
have  been  constructed  of  the  stones  of  a  still  larger  building, 
within  which  it  stands,  and  whose  line  of  walls  may  still  be 
traced.  In  the  western  part  of  the  city  Robinson  discovered 
the  remains  of  a  cistern,  the  largest  (those  of  Solomon  ex¬ 
cepted)  which  he  had  seen  in  Palestine,  being  three  hundred 
and  fourteen  feet  long,  and  two  hundred  and  seventeen  wide. 
Wilson1  states  that  the  construction  is  very  similar  to  that  of 
the  tanks  of  India. 

Notwithstanding  that  the  site  of  the  once  so  renowned 
Bethel  (formerly  called  Luz),  on  the  primitive  boundary  of 
Ephraim  and  Benjamin  (Josh,  xviii.  13,  xvi.  1,  2),  was  com¬ 
pletely  unknown  at  the  beginning  of  the  present  century, 
yet  there  is  no  doubt  concerning  the  identity  of  Bethel  with 
the  modern  Beitin.  Instances  of  el  passing  over  into  in  are 
very  common,  as  in  Jibrin  from  Jibril,  Israin  from  Israil,  Zerin 
from  Jezreel.  The  situation  and  the  distance  from  marked 
1  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  pp.  40,  287. 


DISTRICT  ADJOINING  JERUSALEM. 


221 


points  confirm  in  the  fullest  manner  the  identity  which  has 
been  clearly  shown  by  Robinson.  Yet  previous  to  his  visit  the 
missionaries  Nicolayson  and  Elliot  made  the  discovery  in  183(5 
that  Beitin  occupies  the  site  of  Bethel.  The  place  was  one 
of  the  most  sacred  throughout  the  whole  Jewish  history: 
its  fate  is  pictured  strongly  by  Amos  v.  4,  u  Seek  not  Bethel, 
nor  enter  into  Gilgal,  and  pass  not  to  Beersheba ;  for  Gilgal 
shall  surely  come  into  captivity,  and  Bethel  shall  come  to 
nought.” 

In  Beth-el  (the  house  of  God)  Abraham  pitched  his  tent 
upon  the  high  land,  where  even  now  excellent  pasturage  is 
found,  and  Jacob  erected  an  altar  to  the  Lord.  Yet  the 
opportunities  for  grazing  were  not  sufficiently  extensive  to 
allow  both  Abraham  and  his  brother  Lot  to  remain  in  the 
same  place,  and  hence  they  parted  in  the  manner  described 
in  Gen.  xiii.  9.  The  prophet  Samuel  went  every  year  to 
Bethel  to  judge  the  people.  In  order  to  make  his  subjects 
turn  away  from  their  worship  of  Jehovah,  Jeroboam  selected 
this  place  as  the  site  of  the  homage  to  be  paid  to  the  golden 
calf.  Bethel  belonged  subsequently  to  Judaea:  it  was  de¬ 
stroyed,  but  was  inhabited  again  by  the  Jews  on  their  return 
from  exile.  At  the  time  of  Eusebius  and  Jerome  it  was  only 
an  unimportant  place,  whose  situation  fell  into  entire  oblivion 
at  the  time  of  the  Crusades.  Yet  the  remains  of  churches 
show  that  the  place  was  never  destitute  of  population.  In  the 
centuries  after  the  holy  wars,  the  site  of  the  ancient  Bethel 
was  sought  elsewhere,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Shechem ;  and 
even  in  Robinson’s  time  the  monks  of  Jerusalem  did  not 
suspect  that  Beitin  occupied  its  site.  All  preceding  tourists, 
therefore,  passed  this  little  village  by  without  remark. 

G.  From  Beitin  to  el-Bireh  ( Beeroth ).1 

From  Bethel  the  road  runs  an  hour’s  distance  soutli-west- 
wardly  to  el-Bireh,  passing  by  the  spring  el-Akaba,  and  a 
cavern  supported  by  two  pillars,  which  serves  as  a  reservoir, 
fed,  it  would  seem,  by  an  internal  subterranean  source.  El- 
Bireh  lies  on  the  crest  of  a  ridge  running  east  and  west,  and 
1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  451  et  sq.,  p.  505. 


228 


PALESTINE. 


forming  at  tlie  same  time  the  watershed  between  the  J ordan 
and  the  Mediterranean.  It  lies  so  high  that  it  can  be  seen 
from  a  great  distance.  Yet  its  houses  are  built  in  a  manner 
by  no  means  conspicuous,  and  lie  half-buried  in  the  ground  ; 
so  that  the  road  itself  runs 1  in  some  places  over  their  roofs, 
where  these  are  conti  cmous  to  the  wall  of  rock. 

O 

Many  great  stones,  massive  remains  of  walls,  and  also  a 
large  square  building,  are  the  traces  of  the  former  importance 
of  this  place,  which  was  once  in  the  possession  of  the  Knights 
Templar,  the  builders  unquestionably  of  the  fine  church  on 
the  crest  of  the  mountain,  whose  altar,  sacristy,  and  walls 
are  still  standing.  At  a  spring  near  by  can  be  also  seen  the 
remains  of  an  earlier  time.  Bireh  had  in  1838  a  hundred 
and  thirty-five  taxable  inhabitants,  sixty  of  whom  were  im¬ 
pressed  as  soldiers,  and  the  whole  population  can  be  safely 
estimated  at  about  seven  hundred. 

From  el-Bireh  the  distance  is  some  two  and  a  half  hours 
to  Jerusalem.  The  place  is,  according  to  Robinson,  in  all  pro¬ 
bability  the  Beeroth  of  the  Old  Testament,  belonging  to  the 
territory  of  Benjamin,  and  yet  not  a  place  of  great  importance 
in  biblical  history.  It  is  mentioned  in  2  Sam.  iv.  2,  and  xxiii. 
37.  At  the  time  of  Jerome  it  could  hardly  be  identified,  and 
its  site  remained  unknown  till  Maundrell2  recognised  that  the 
el-Bireh  of  the  present  time  is  the  Beeroth  of  the  Bible.  The 
name  he  derives  from  a  very  profuse  spring,  Bir,3  which  was 
also  noticed  by  Otto  v.  Richter  at  the  southern  entrance  of 
the  city. 


7.  From  Bireh  to  Jerusalem  hy  way  of  Atara  (. Ataroth ), 
er-Iidrn  (Ramah  of  the  Prophetess  Deborah ),  Tuleil  el 
Ful  ( Gibeah  of  Saul),  and  Shafat. 


From  el-Bireh  the  road  runs  south-westward  past  the 
spring  Ram  Allah,  crossing  the  great  watershed,  from  which 
the  great  coast  plain  and  even  the  blue  line  of  the  sea  can 
be  descried  just  beyond  the  white  sand-dunes  around  Jaffa. 


1  Otto  v.  Richter,  Wallfahrten ,  p.  53. 

2  H.  Maundrell,  Journal ,  p.  64. 

3  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  pp.  39,  287. 


DISTRICT  ADJOINING  JERUSALEM. 


229 


Passing  Beit  Unia,  north-west  of  el-Jib  (Gibeon),1  and  Neby 
Samwil  (Mizpeh),  the  Jaffa  route  leading  to  Beit-ur  (Betli- 
horon)  is  soon  reached.  Of  this  place  I  shall  have  to  speak 
subsequently.  I  have  already  discussed  Gibeon,  Mizpeh,  and 
the  western  slopes  of  the  Judaean  mountain-land.  On  the 
direct  road  running  from  Jerusalem  to  Nablus,  it  remains 
that  I  shall  speak  of  Atara  and  er-Ram. 

The  village  of  Ram  Allah 2  lies  upon  the  crest  of  the  high 
watershed :  the  wadi  in  which  Beit-ur  lies  runs  directly  west 
from  it,  down  towards  the  sea-coast.  The  village  is  inha¬ 
bited  by  eight  or  nine  hundred  Christians,  who  appear  to  be 
tolerably  well  conditioned :  their  houses  are  all  well  built  and 
new ;  no  traces  of  antiquity  are  discoverable  in  the  place ;  the 
soil  around  is  productive,  and  yields  abundant  crops  of  corn, 
olives,  figs,  and  grapes.  This  place,  like  Taiyibeli,  belongs 
to  the  great  mosque  of  Jerusalem,  and  is  compelled  to  pay  a 
heavy  tribute  to  it  yearly.  The  population  is  distinguished 
for  energy  and  industry. 

Following  the  line  of  watershed  southward  from  Bireh,3 
some  old  walls  called  Suweikeh  are  first  passed,  and  then 
Atara  is  reached,  where  the  upper  Wadi  Hanina  has  its 
commencement.  This  wadi  has  been  elsewhere  spoken  of 
as  the  natural  barrier  between  the  mountain  districts  of 
Judah  and  Ephraim. 

In  Atara  there  are  to  be  seen  some  extensive  ruins  with 
arches,  and  above  the  same  two  ancient  water-cisterns,  a  hun¬ 
dred  feet  long  and  forty  wide,  probably  marking  the  remains 
of  a  former  place  bearing  the  name  of  Ataroth.  In  the  book 
of  Joshua  two  places  of  this  name  are  mentioned,  which  both 
lay  upon  the  confines  of  Ephraim  and  Benjamin.  The  one 
mentioned  in  conjunction  with  Beth-horon  in  Josh.  xvi.  5 
is  probably  the  one  found  here,  as  the  other  mentioned  in 
ver.  7  lay  nearer  Jericho.  It  is  the  same  place  which  is  sub¬ 
sequently  alluded  to  in  Josh,  xviii.  13,  although  this  might 
be  supposed  to  refer  to  the  Ataroth  in  the  tribe  of  Ephraim, 

1  The  Christian  in  Palestine ,  p.  124,  Tab.  xxxiv.,  Gibeon  from  Neby 
Samwil. 

2  Iiobinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  453.  3  Ibid.  i.  p.  575  et  sq. 


230 


PALESTINE. 


which  lies  farther  north,  near  Shechem,  near  Jilgilia,  north 
of  Jifna,  where  Robinson 1  discovered  another  Atara.  The 
two  Ataroths  which  are  mentioned  in  the  Onomasticon  give 
no  solution  of  the  Old  Testament  question  regarding  their 
respective  locations. 

The  site  of  er-Ram 2  is  more  important,  which  lay  south 
of  Atara  on  a  high  hill,  about  ten  minutes’  distance  east  of 
the  great  Jerusalem  highway,  and  at  a  spot  where  the  Wadi 
Farah  begins  its  course  eastward  to  the  Jordan,  and  the  Wadi 
Ram,  one  of  the  first  north  arms  of  the  Wadi  Hanina,  begins 
its  westward  course  towards  the  Mediterranean.  Ram  is  a 
pitiful  village  of  only  a  handful  of  houses,  between  which, 
however,  several  massive  stones  are  still  seen,  among  which 
are  some  pillars  which  indicate  the  nature  of  the  architecture 
once  standing  there.  The  little  mosque,  once  a  Christian 
church,  is  built  out  of  these  remains.  Er-Ram  lies  in  a  very 
conspicuous  position ;  but  it  is  to  be  discriminated  from  the 
Ramah  of  Samuel,  the  one  near  Hebron,  and  other  places  of 
the  same  name.  It  is,  however,  unquestionably  the  Ramah 
which  lay  upon  the  route  of  the  Levite  who  is  mentioned  in 
Judg.  xix.  13  as  journeying  from  Jerusalem  by  way  of  Gibeah 
and  Ramah  in  Benjamin  to  the  mountains  of  Ephraim.  Ac¬ 
cording  to  Jerome,  it  lay  six  or  seven  Roman  miles  from  the 
Jewish  capital. 

It  was  between  Ramah  and  Bethel,  upon  the  mountains 
of  Ephraim  (which  unquestionably  extended  within  the  terri¬ 
tory  of  Benjamin3),  that,  according  to  Judg.  iv.  4  and  v.  12, 
the  prophetess  Deborah  sat  under  the  palm  trees  and  judged 
Israel.  King  Solomon,  according  to  Jerome,  re-erected 
Ramah  and  Beth-horon,  and  converted  them  into  cities  of 
some  splendour.  Ezra  (ii.  26)  and  Nehemiah  (vii.  30) 
name  the  place  subsequently  to  the  captivity,  but  during 
the  dark  ages  it  was  completely  forgotten.  It  is  hardly 
alluded  to  by  the  writers  of  many  hundred  consecutive 
years.  Even  quite  recent  travellers  did  not  know  where 
this  important  place  lay,  although  the  monks  repeated  their 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  265.  Comp.  Keil,  Com.  zu  Josua,  p.  309. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  516  et  sq.  3  Ibid.  ii.  p.  9. 


DISTRICT  ADJOINING  JERUSALEM. 


231 


traditions  about  its  site ;  for  even  Schubert 1  passed  close  by  it 
without  suspecting  the  fact,  as  did  also  Richardson,  Scholtz, 
Monro,  and  others.  Its  discovery  is  one  of  the  many  things 
which  we  owe  to  the  unwearied  exertions  and  sharp-sighted 
inquiry  of  Robinson  and  Smith.  Jeba,  the  Geba  of  Isaiah, 
lies  a  half-hour’s  distance  east  of  er-Ram,  but  cannot  be  seen 
thence.  A  little  more  than  a  half-hour’s  distance  westward 
is  el- Jib,  or  Gibeon ;  and  about  as  far  southward  is  Tuleil 
el  F ul,2  the  Gibeali  of  Saul.  Gibeon,  Anathoth,  Mizpeh,  and 
Michmash,  are  all  to  be  seen  from  the  lofty  site  of  er-Ram. 

Leaving  this  pitiful  village,  we  reach  in  ten  minutes 
southward  Khuraib  er  Ram,  i.e.  the  ruins  of  er-Ram,3  where 
eight  to  ten  shattered  arches  lie  parallel  with  the  main  road : 
they  seem  to  have  belonged  to  a  khan  once  stationed  here.4 

Still  farther  south  we  bear  eastward  from  the  main  road, 
in  order  to  reach  the  high  Tell  or  hill  on  which  lies  Tuleil  el 
Ful,  with  its  heaps  of  massive  stones.5  There  seems  to  have 
once  stood  there  a  great  square  tower  fifty-six  feet  in  length, 
and  forty-eight  feet  in  width,  composed  of  hewn  stones,  from 
whose  remains  there  is  still  afforded  an  extensive  prospect, 
only  surpassed  by  that  from  Neby  Samwil,  the  ancient 
Mizpeh.  There  are  no  other  architectural  remains  found  at 
this  place,  which,  on  grounds  already  stated,  has  been  identi¬ 
fied  with  the  ancient  Gibeah,  the  birth-place  of  Saul.  South 
of  this  spot  is  the  little  village  of  Shafat,  only  fifty  minutes’ 
walk  from  the  Damascus  gate  of  Jerusalem.  This  place  is 
probably  identical  with  the  hamlet  of  Sharifat,  mentioned  by 
von  Richter,6  who  noticed,  as  did  Robinson,  the  signs  of  a 
large  population  once  inhabiting  this  region,  now  all  deserted 
and  barren. 

1  Yon  Schubert,  Reise,  iii.  p.  124. 

2  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  p.  38  ;  Christian  in  Palestine ,  p.  124, 
Tab.  xxxii. 

3  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  579  ;  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  38. 

4  Comp.  v.  Schubert,  Reise ,  iii.  p.  125. 

6  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  p.  36. 

6  0.  v.  Richter,  Wallfahrten ,  p.  53  ;  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i. 
p.  580. 


CHAPTER  II. 


THE  MOUNTAIN  EOADS,  WITH  THEIR  PASSES  WESTWARD 
TO  THE  COAST  OF  THE  MEDITERRANEAN  : 

THE  PLAIN  OF  SIIARON,  AND  THE  TOWNS  OF  RAMLEH,  LYDDA,  AND  REFER 

SABA  (ANTIPATRIS). 

ROM  Jerusalem  westward  to  Jaffa,  its  port,  the 
ancient  Joppa,  ten  hours  away,  there  are  several 
paths,  all  of  them  having  their  beginning  in  the 
rocky  land  of  Judaea,  and  ending  in  the  level 
plain  along  the  coast. 

Heavy  articles  of  merchandise1  are  now,  as  they  always 
have  been,  transported  by  way  of  the  Beth-horon  pass,  which 
lies  north-west  of  Jerusalem,  where  an  upper  Beit-ur  and  a 
lower  Beit-ur  indicate  the  line  of  descent,  after  passing  which 
the  road  runs  on  to  Ludd  (Lydda)  and  Jaffa. 

A  valley  lying  south  of  the  Beth-horon  pass,  Wadi  Sulei¬ 
man  by  name,  is  merely  a  side  arm  of  the  same,  separating 
from  it  in  the  high  land  (near  el- Jib),  and  joining  it  again 
near  Jimzu.  This  is  commonly  considered  the  easier  route, 
and  travellers  usually  choose  between  these  two.  It  is  probable 
that  this  was  always  the  case,  although  we  lack  full  evidence 
on  this  point. 

There  is  a  third  route  lying  farther  south,  which  does  not 
make  the  great  bend  to  the  north-west  which  the  two  just 
specified  do,  and  this  is  the  most  direct  road  from  the  capital 
to  its  port.  It  runs  by  way  of  Kulonieh  and  Kuryet  el  Enab 
through  Wadi  Aly  to  Lydda,  where  it  joins  the  other  two, 
1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  252. 


* 


232 


ROADS  FROM  JERUSALEM  WESTWARD.  233 


and  the  three  form  thenceforth  a  single  road  to  Jaffa.  This 
route,  too,  may  have  been  much  used  in  antiquity,  but  there 
is  no  decisive  evidence  whether  it  was  or  was  not.  The  older 
writers  used  to  be  too  neglectful  of  details  which  might  throw 
light  on  such  points  as  this.  The  mountainous  tracts  which 
lie  between  the  three  routes  just  detailed,  although  the  dis¬ 
tance  is  so  short  across,  have  never  been  thoroughly  explored, 
and  much  yet  remains  to  he  done  before  it  can  be  asserted 
that  the  topography  of  this  region  is  accurately  known. 
Many  valleys  must  first  be  traversed,  heights  taken,  and  the 
sites  of  ancient  convents  visited.  I  will  first  speak  of  these 
three  routes  in  detail,  and  then  pass  to  the  coast,  and  the 
places  upon  it. 


DISCUESION  I. 

THE  SOUTHERN  ROUTE,  BY  WAY  OF  KULONIEII,  KURYET  EL-ENAB,  AND 

WADI  ALY. 

The  earliest  direct  reference  to  this  route,  according  to 
Robinson,  seems  to  be  the  statement  of  Eusebius  and  Jerome, 
that  Kirjath-jearim  lay  nine  miles  from  Jerusalem,  on  the 
road  to  Diospolis,  i.e.  Ludd  or  Lydda.  If  the  present  Kuryet 
el  Enab  is  identical  with  Kirjath  or  Kirjath-jearim,  i.e.  with 
the  ancient  border  city  of  Judah  and  Benjamin,  to  which  the 
ark  of  the  covenant  Avas  carried  from  Beth-shemesh,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  this  route  was  one  which  was  taken  at 
the  time  of  Jerome. 

Robinson  did  not  himself  pass  over  it.  He  gives,  however, 
the  statements  of  two  travellers  Avho  did  :  one,1  the  account 
of  Dr  E.  Smith,  Avho,  in  company  with  ladies,  leisurely 
journeyed  from  Jaffa  to  Jerusalem;  and  the  other  that  of 
the  missionary  Lanneau,  who  gives  the  measurements  more 
fully,  but  who  went  by  way  of  Ramleli  instead  of  Ludd. 
Both  accounts  are  valuable,  for  most  tourists  hasten  over  this 
part  of  their  journey,  taking  little  note  of  the  objects  on  the 
way. 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  243,  and  Note  to  p.  528. 


234 


PALESTINE. 


1.  Eli  Smith's  Itinerary  from  Jaffa  to  Jerusalem. 


1.  From  Jaffa  to  Yazur, 

• 

Hours. 

1 

Min. 

0 

2.  To  a  village, 

• 

1 

0 

3.  ,,  Lucid,  . 

• 

1 

35 

4.  ,,  er-Ramleh, 

. 

0 

45 

5.  ,,  Kubab,  on  the  first  rising  ground, 

2 

10 

6.  ,,  Latron,  beginning  of  Wadi  Aly, 

1 

0 

7.  ,,  Saris,  highest  point, 

• 

2 

30 

8.  ,,  Kuryet  el  Enab,  in  a  valley, 

• 

0 

30 

9  ,,  Jerusalem, 

• 

3 

30 

Total, 

14 

0 

2.  iMnneau  s  Itinerary  from 

Jerusalem  to  Jaffa. 

Hours. 

Min. 

1.  From  Jerusalem  to  Kulonieh, 

1 

30 

2.  To  Kuryet  el  Enab, 

1 

30 

3.  ,,  Saris, 

1 

0 

4.  ,,  Bab  el  Wadi,  . 

1 

0 

5.  ,,  Latron, 

1 

0 

6.  ,,  Kubab, 

1 

0 

7.  ,,  Ramleh, 

2 

0 

8.  ,,  Surafend, 

0 

30 

9.  ,,  Beit  Dejan, 

1 

0 

10.  ,,  Yazur, 

0 

30 

11.  ,,  Jaffa, 

1 

0 

Total, 

# 

12 

0 

With  horses  or  with  mules  the  journey  is  usually  accom¬ 
plished  in  the  same  time,  it  taking  nine  hours  between 
Jerusalem  and  Ramleh,  and  three  between  this  point  and 
Jerusalem. 

Wilson1  asserts  that  this  route  is  the  shortest :  the  same 
was  taken  by  Fabri,  and  in  the  present  century  it  was  the  one 
traversed  by  Turner  and  Buckingham  in  1815,  von  Prokesch 
in  1829,  and  by  von  Wildenbruch  in  1843. 

Ramleh  lies  in  the  plain,  running  along  the  coast  north¬ 
ward  as  far  as  to  Mount  Carmel,  and  bearing  the  celebrated 
name  of  Sharon.  Just  east  of  this  place,  however,  the  level 
sandy  tract  comes  to  an  end,  and  the  common  hard  lime- 
1  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  pp.  263-2G8. 


ROADS  FROM  JERUSALEM  WESTWARD.  235 


stone  of  the  mountain-land  begins  to  appear.  At  the  village 
of  Anabah  the  ascent  commences  :  then  the  road  passes  by 
the  pitiful  village  of  Fineh,  which  appears  to  be  built  upon 
ancient  ruins,  near  which  is  a  spring  known  as  Job’s  foun¬ 
tain.1  The  hills  which  are  next  encountered  towards  the 
south-east  are  generally  cone-shaped,  with  valleys  or  wadis 
lying  between,  or  simply  basin-shaped  depressions.  The 
broadest  one  of  these  is  the  very  fruitful  Merj  Ibn  Omeir,2 
which  reaches  away  towards  the  south-west.  On  the 
southern  border  of  this  lie  el-Kubab,  Beit  Nuba,  and  Yalo. 
The  strata  of  chalk  are  not  at  first  marked  in  their  character : 
they  appear  now  horizontal,  now  sloping  at  various  angles. 
The  nearer  to  Jerusalem  they  are  examined,  the  more  marked 
is  the  terrace  shape  which  they  assume.  Shortly  before 
reaching  Jerusalem  the  declivities  increase,  and  the  more 
desolate  is  the  surface.  Many  of  the  small  places  passed 
on  the  way  have  not  yet  been  named  in  the  accounts  of  the 
tourists. 

The  village  of  Yalo  has  been  already  shown  to  be  the 
ancient  Ajalon,  in  the  territory  of  Dan  (Josh.  xix.  42).  The 
doubts  respecting  the  identity  of  the  two  have  been  shown 
by  Jerome  to  be  unfounded,  whose  AlXoo/u,  must  have  lain 
about  two  miles  from  Nicopolis  (Lydda),  and  could  have 
been  no  other  than  this  Yalo  ;  and  another  confirmation  is, 
that  Ajalon  is  not  merely  mentioned  in  connection  with  places 
lying  farther  to  the  south  (by  which  its  location  would  be 
somewhat  doubtful),  as  with  Beth-shemesh,  Hebron,  Lachish, 
Gath,  Bethlehem,  and  others  ;  but  in  another  passage  cited 
by  Robinson  (2  Chron.  xxviii.  18), 3  it  is  mentioned  in  imme¬ 
diate  proximity  to  the  cities  of  the  plain  which  the  Philistines 
possessed  :  the  list  closes  with  Jimzu,  a  place  south-east  of 
Lydda,  and  showing  that  Ajalon  must  have  been  in  the 
immediate  neighbourhood.  The  identity  of  Yalo  with  Ajalon 
and  Ailom  may  therefore  be  considered  as  established. 

]  Yon  Wildenbruch,  Reiseroute  in  Syrien ,  in  Monatsb.  der  Berliner 
geog.  Ges.  1843,  Pt.  i.  p.  229. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  252. 

3  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  p.  206. 


236 


PALESTINE. 


The  three  villages,  el-Kubab,  Beit  Nuba,  and  Yalo,  have 
not  been  visited  by  travellers.  Wilson,  the  only  one  who 
mentions  them  in  their  connection,  says  that,  as  he  was 
passing  by  Latrun,  he  saw  them  on  the  high  land  contiguous 
to  Wadi  Ali.  This  Latron  or  Latrun,  six  hours  distant  from 
Jerusalem,  lies  about  equidistant  from  both  ends  of  the  route. 
An  hour’s  distance  to  the  south-east  is  the  village  Amwas,1 
which  the  monkish  legends  make  to  be  the  Emmaus  of  Luke 
xxiv.  13-35.  The  earlier  pilgrims  speak  of  this  place  as  a 
u  Castellum  Emmaus,”  and  speak,  moreover,  of  the  church 
and  the  city  of  the  Maccabees  as  there.  The  tradition  may 
be  one  which  dates  back  as  far  as  to  the  time  of  the  Macca¬ 
bees.  Fabri,  who  visited  Emmaus  in  1483,  found  there  a 
hospice,  bearing  the  names  both  of  Luke  and  Cleophas,  and 
thanked  God  that  it  was  permitted  to  him,  a  poor  pilgrim, 
who  had  come  so  long  a  distance,  at  last  to  tread  in  the 
unquestionable  footsteps  of  his  Saviour,  and  to  kiss  the  ground 
on  which  He  had  trodden.  At  the  time  that  Jerusalem  was 
destroyed,  this  place  also  perished,  but  was  restored  subse¬ 
quently  by  the  Romans,  and  called  Nicopolis.  The  Bordeaux 
Itinerary ,  written  in  333,  places  Nicopolis2  in  its  true  posi¬ 
tion,  twenty  miles  from  Jerusalem,  and  ten  from  Lydda.  It 
cites  no  other  place  as  answering  to  the  Emmaus  of  Luke. 
Very  few  people  were  living  there  at  that  time,  although 
large  buildings  were  standing :  these  may  have  been  destroyed 
at  the  time  of  the  subsequent  Saracen  invasion.  As  the 
distance  of  this  Amwas  from  Jerusalem,  by  way  of  Latrun, 
was  about  seven  hours,  and  as  Luke  makes  the  Emmaus 
mentioned  by  him  sixty  stadia  or  furlongs  from  the  capital, 
i.e.  about  three  hours,  the  two  accounts  do  not  appear  to 
agree ;  but  Rodiger3  has  solved  the  difficulty  by  remarking, 
that  in  some  of  the  manuscripts  the  reading  is  a  hundred  and 
sixty  furlongs, — an  emendation  which  removes  the  difficulty, 
this  being  not  far  from  the  distance  of  Amwas  from  Jerusalem.4 

1  Comp.  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  pp.  232,  255. 

2  Itin.  Hieros.  ed.  Partkey,  p.  283. 

3  Rodiger,  Rev.  in  Allg.  Lit.  Z.  1842,  No.  72,  p.  576. 

4  Thomson  objects  forcibly  to  this,  that  if  we  read  a  hundred  and  sixty 


ROADS  FROM  JERUSALEM  WESTWARD.  237 


And  up  to  the  present  time  there  has  been  discovered  no 
Emmaus  farther  east  which  presents  stronger  claims  to  be 
considered  the  one  mentioned  in  the  Gospels,  than  the  one  of 
which  we  are  now  speaking.  Dr  Barth,1  who  was  able  to  see 
the  village  of  Amwas  from  the  more  elevated  Kubab,  visited 
the  place,  and  discovered  important  fortifications  there,  which 
justified  the  name  which  it  once  bore — Castellum  Emmaus. 
Yon  Prokesch2  asserts  that  there  is  no  site  between  Jerusa¬ 
lem  and  Ramleh  which  presents  more  advantages  for  a  strong 
military  position  than  does  that  of  the  ancient  Nicopolis, 
which  cannot  be  reached  except  after  five  hours  of  hard 
climbing  on  horseback.  It  does  not  seem  open  to  criticism, 
to  look  with  Quatremere  for  the  site  of  the  mountain  Modin, 
the  home  of  Mattathias  Maccabseus,  where,  in  the  neighbour¬ 
hood  of  Latrun,  that  lofty  pillar  of  the  Maccabees  family  was 
erected  by  Simon,  which  has  been  discernible  by  travellers 
until  a  recent  period.  Robinson3  and  other  travellers  have 
been  unable  to  discover  whence  the  name  of  this  place, 
u  Castellum  s.  domus  boni  Latronis,”  which  has  been  current 
since  the  sixteenth  century,  was  derived.  Quatremere  thinks 
that  the  place  had  originally  an  Arabic  name,  but  that  sub¬ 
sequently  to  the  Mohammedan  invasion  the  place  became  a 
refuge  of  robbers,  and  at  length  received  an  appellation  which 
was  perverted  into  domus  boni  latronis ,  and  the  equivalent 
maison  du  bon  laron  of  the  Franks.4  Richardson  says  that 
in  his  time  the  place  was  a  real  robbers’  nest,  as  indeed  the 
fact  that  so  many  pilgrims  passed  through  this  neighbourhood 

furlongs,  and  admit  that  the  present  Amwas  was  the  ancient  Emmaus, 
it  would  have  been  impossible  for  the  disciples  to  have  returned  the  same 
evening  to  Jerusalem,  as  we  are  told  (Luke  xxiv.  33)  that  they  did. 
Josephus  states  (  Wars,  vii.  6,  6)  that  there  was  a  village  Emmaus  sixty 
furlongs  from  the  city.  Robinson  and  Thomson  coincide  in  the  conjec¬ 
ture  that  this  is  the  Emmaus  of  Luke,  and  that  its  site  was  at  the  modern 
village  of  Kuryet  el  Enab,  the  supposed  Kirjath-jearim  of  the  ancient 
Scriptures. — Ed. 

1  Dr  Barth,  ms.  1841. 

2  Prokesch,  liei.se,  p.  39. 

3  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  228,  Note  3. 

4  Quatremere,  in  Macrizi,  Hist,  des  Sultans  Maml.  T.  i.  p.  256. 


238 


PALESTINE. 


would  naturally  make  it  and  others  of  these  inaccessible  hills 
near  by. 

Yon  Wildenbruch1  has  shown  that  the  position  of  Amwas 
and  Latrun  is  wrongly  given  on  Robinson’s  map,  the  former 
really  lying  north  of  the  road,  the  latter  south  of  it.  Wolcott 
has  made  the  same  correction.  Amwas  is  a  half-hour’s  dis¬ 
tance  from  Latrun.  At  the  latter  place  the  real  entrance  is 
first  made  into  the  mountain-land  of  Judaea,  through  a  pass 
about  five  hundred  feet  wide,  shut  in  between  limestone  cliffs, 
which  continually  become  higher  and  more  bare.  The  way 
after  this  passes  through  Saris,  a  village  little  known,  and 
lying  on  the  high  land.2  It  was  long  avoided  on  account  of 
the  robbers  who  settled  there  ;  but  within  recent  years  it  has 
changed  its  character,  has  been  rebuilt,  and  converted  into  a 
fine-looking  village.  The  soil  in  the  neighbourhood  is  under 
good  cultivation,  and  yields  excellent  returns  of  olives  and 
grapes.3  The  road  then  traverses  the  village  of  Karyet  el 
Enab,  which  also  used  to  be  a  perfect  nest  of  robbers.  It 
lost  its  bad  name  only  so  recently  as  1847. 

Prokesch,  who  visited4  Karyet  el  Enab,  speaks  of  finding 
spacious  and  well-built  houses  there,  but  noticed  particularly 
a  church  of  the  Knights  Templar,  built  with  a  triple  nave, 
but  used  at  the  time  of  his  visit  as  a  storehouse  for  salt  and 
a  cattle-pen.  Yon  Wildenbruch  confirms  the  story  of  the 
original  excellence  of  the  architecture,  and  states,  moreover, 
that  it  is  still  in  a  tolerably  good  state  of  preservation.  The 
nave  is  thirty  paces  long  and  twenty-four  wide  :  four  square 
pillars  on  each  side  sustain  the  side  naves  with  their  roofs  : 
the  altar  at  the  east  side  is  lighted  by  a  large  window. 
Throughout  the  main  walls  of  the  church  frescoes  can  be 
seen  :  they  were  well  executed  at  the  first,  but  only  the  blue 
has  held  well.  Above  the  altar,  niches  and  mosaics  are  set 
in  the  arched  roof.  Beneath  the  church  are  arches  in  a  good 

1  Yon  Wildenbruch,  Reise-routen  in  Syrien ,  in  Monatsb.  der  Berliner 
Ges.  fur  Geog.  1843,  Pt.  i.  p.  229,  and  iv.  p.  251. 

2  W.  Turner,  Journal ,  ii.  p.  281. 

3  Dr  Barth,  MS.  1847. 

4  Yon  Prokesch,  Reise ,  p.  41. 


ROADS  FROM  JERUSALEM  WESTWARD.  239 


state  of  preservation.  The  French  traveller  L.  de  Mas 
Latrie1  calls  this  the  Church  of  St  Jeremiah,  and  alludes 
particularly  to  the  generally  good  preservation  of  all  except¬ 
ing  the  altar  and  of  the  pavement.  A  high  castle,  which 
flanks  the  city  on  the  side  of  Bethlehem  and  Jaffa,  is  called 
the  Pisano  Castle.2  The  name  of  St  Jeremiah,  applied  to 
the  church,  is  confirmed  by  Sieber,  who  at  the  time  of  his 
visit  in  1818  heard  this  appellation  alone  applied  to  it. 

At  the  next  village,  Kulonieh  (Colonia),  whose  site  has 
already  been  spoken  of,  Wilson  saw  a  fallen  church,  probably 
one  which  Prokesch  speaks  of  seeing  in  ruins.  Up  to  this 
point,  where  is  gained  the  first  view  looking  hack  upon  the 
western  plain,  and  the  dark  line  of  the  sea,  there  are  seen 
more  or  less  striking  marks  of  agriculture ;  but  from  that 
point  on  there  are  very  few.  Scattered  groups  of  goats3 
may  indeed  be  descried  here  and  there,  but  the  amount  of 
pasturage  which  they  find  is  very  meagre.  The  hair  of 
these  creatures  is  fine,  and  black ;  the  horns  bent  back,  and 
striped  with  red ;  and  the  whole  appearance  of  the  animal 
is  very  striking. 

From  Kulonieh,  around  which  a  little  agriculture  is  carried 
on,  the  road  enters  the  deep  Beit  Hanina,  and  then  winds 
towards  the  south-east,  up  from  one  layer  of  the  white  lime¬ 
stone  to  another,  till  the  village  of  Lifta  is  reached.  After 
this  the  traveller  remains  on  the  high  plateau  of  Judsea. 
Towards  the  south-east  there  is  caught  a  glimpse  of  the 
distant  Mount  of  Olives,  and  at  length  of  the  western  wall  of 
Jerusalem,  with  the  minarets,  domes,  and  towers  of  the  city. 
The  view  is  the  least  imposing  of  any  one  which  is  gained 
in  approaching  this  city,  whither  the  pilgrims  of  all  nations 
throng. 

1  L.  de  Mas  Latrie,  Lettre  du  Cairo ,  17  Dec.  1845,  in  Archives  des 
Missions  Scientij .  et  Lit.  Paris ,  1850,  p.  16G. 

2  Sieber,  Reise ,  p.  33. 

3  Yon  Prokesch,  Reise,  p.  124. 


240 


PALESTINE. 


DISCURSION  II. 

TIIE  NORTHERN  ROUTE  FROM  LYDDA — THE  GREAT  CARAVAN  ROAD  BY  WAY  OF 
THE  PASS  OF  BETH-HORON  AND  EL-JIB  (GIBEON) — THE  BRANCH  ROAD  BY 
WAY  OF  WADI  SULEIMAN. 

In  the  great  northern  road  from  Lnd  to  Jerusalem,  by 
way  of  the  pass  Beit  Ur,  the  ancient  Beth-horon,  Robinson 
must  be  our  guide. 

Lud  or  Lod,1  an  ancient  Benjamite  city  (1  Chron.  ix.  12), 
which  was  rebuilt  after  the  captivity  (Neh.  xi.  35),  has,  in 
spite  of  all  the  changes  of  fortune,  preserved  its  ancient  name 
(Lydda),  slightly  modified,  until  the  present  day.  By  the 
Romans,  Greeks,  and  Christian  bishops  it  was  called  Dios- 
polis.  In  its  present  condition  it  is  a  large  \fillage  of  small 
houses.  There  are  still  to  be  seen  the  ruins  of  a  church  once 
celebrated  as  that  of  St  George.  The  western  end  has  been 
converted  into  a  mosque,  whose  high  minaret  indicates  from 
a  distance  the  situation  of  Lydda.  The  eastern  walls,  in¬ 
cluding  the  altar,  are  still  standing.  The  intermediate  parts 
have  been  destroyed,  although  several  pillars  yet  stand  to¬ 
gether,  with  a  high  pointed  arch,  south  of  the  nave.  The 
width  of  the  church  is  seventy-eight  feet.  It  is  supposed  to 
have  been  the  church  built  in  Diospolis  over  the  grave  of  St 
George,  who  is  said  to  have  been  born  there.  The  Bordeaux 
pilgrim2  makes  no  mention  of  any  burial-place  in  Lydda; 
but  Antoninus  Martyr,  two  centuries  subsequently,  speaks  of 
the  grave  of  St  George  as  there.  It  was  in  Lydda  that  the 
gospel  was  early  preached  with  great  acceptance,  and  there, 
too,  that  the  Apostle  Paul  restored  the  sick  JEneas.  It  was 
from  this  place  that  he  went  to  Joppa,  near  by,  working 
miraculous  cures  there  also.  Subsequently  this  place,  which 
had  been  raised  to  the  rank  of  a  provincial  capital,  came  into 
possession  of  the  Emperor  Vespasian,  and  became  a  promi¬ 
nent  centre  of  Jewish  learning.  One  of  the  first  episcopates 
in  Palestine  was  that  of  Lydda  or  Diospolis,  and  the  signa- 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  244. 

2  I  Lin.  Burdig.  ed.  Parthey,  p.  283. 


ROADS  FROM  JERUSALEM  WESTWARD.  241 


tures  of  its  bishops  are  found  dating  as  late  as  the  year  518. 
The  church  is  said  to  have  been  restored  by  King  Kichard 
of  England.1 

The  wadi  on  which  Lydda  lies  does  not  send  its  waters 
westward  to  Jaffa,  but  north  to  el-Aujeh,  which  enters  the 
sea  two  hours  north  of  that  port. 

The  great  caravan  road  runs2  from  Lydda  direct  to 
Jimzu,  the  ancient  Gimzo  (2  Chron.  xxviii.  18),  which  the 
Philistines  once  took,  and  which  has  preserved  its  name  down 
to  the  present  day.  The  plain  around  Jimzu  is  very  fruitful, 
and  the  harvest  begins  as  early  as  the  9th  of  June.  It  is  at 
this  place  that  the  southern  route  through  Wadi  Suleiman 
begins.  This  takes  a  direct  course  past  Bersilya  to  el-Jib, 
where  it  unites  with  the  northern  road  and  passes  through 
Beit  Hanina  to  Jerusalem.  The  two  roads  lie  but  a  short 
distance  from  each  other,  and  are  connected  by  means  of 
short  paths.  Robinson  took  advantage  of  one  of  these  to 
visit  the  upper  and  lower  pass  of  Beit  Ur  or  Beth-horon. 
The  first  one  reached  is  lower  Beit  Ur.  Massive  stones 
still  indicate  the  site  of  the  ancient  city,3  whose  erection 
was  accomplished  by  Sherah,  a  daughter  of  Ephraim,  and 
a  grand-daughter  of  Jacob.  The  lower  Beit  Ur  is  separated 
from  the  foot  of  the  adjacent  mountain  by  a  deep  wadi  which 
comes  down  from  Ram  Allah,  and  enters  Wadi  Suleiman 
farther  south.  Crossing  this  there  is  a  long  steep  pass,  which 
at  first  is  very  rough  and  rocky,  but  which  subsequently 
assumes  in  many  places  the  form  of  a  stairway  cut  in  the 
rocks,  evidently  of  very  ancient  origin.  On  the  way  up  are 
found  foundation  walls  composed  of  large  stones,  and  probably 
once  belonging  to  a  castle  erected  to  guard  the  pass.  After 
a  full  hour’s  climbing  the  highest  point  is  reached,  where 
stands  the  upper  village  of  Beit  Ur.  This  is  on  the  extreme 
border  of  the  mountain,  and  discloses  a  valley  both  on  the 
north  and  south.  Farther  east,  towards  the  high  plain  of 

1  See  Eobinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  144  et  sq.  for  the  history  of 
Lydda  ;  and  von  Eanmer,  Pal.  p.  190. 

2  Eobinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  248. 

3  Ibid.  p.  249  et  sq. 

VOL.  IV. 


Q 


242 


PALESTINE. 


el- Jib,  the  ground  rises  very  gradually  towards  the  rocky 
mountain-land.  The  village  is  small,  but  shows  traces  of 
former  buildings  and  an  ancient  reservoir.  Both  of  these 
places  are  mentioned  in  Joshua  as  frontier  cities  ;  the  upper 
Beth-horon  being  mentioned  in  Josh.  xvi.  5  as  on  the 
borders  of  Ephraim,  and  the  lower  in  Josh,  xviii.  13  as 
on  the  limits  of  Benjamin.  It  is  very  plain  from  Josh.  x. 
10,  11,  that  after  the  battle  with  the  five  kings  of  the 
Amorites  at  Gibeon,  the  Hebrew  leader  pursued  them  to 
Beth-horon,  and  into  the  valley  of  Ajalon  and  Makkedah, 
where  their  rout  was  completed  by  a  fierce  storm  of  hail. 
A  pass  so  valuable  as  Beth-horon  was  not  neglected  by 
Solomon,  who,  according  to  2  Chron.  viii.  5,  and  1  Kings 
ix.  17,  built  the  upper  and  the  lower  towns,  and  surrounded 
them  with  gates  and  walls  and  bars.  The  places  escaped 
capture  at  the  time  of  the  Roman  invasion ;  but  in  Eusebius’ 
age  they  had  become  insignificant  villages,  and  were  only 
brought  out  into  the  light  again  by  the  labours  of  Clarke,1 
Nicolayson,  and  Robinson.  The  name  has  continued  current 
in  the  mouths  of  the  people  for  3000  years.  At  the  time 
of  the  Crusades,  the  place  was  called  Bethar,  Betheron,  or 
Betelon,  a  name  which  is  not  to  be  confounded  with  Batrin 
in  northern  Gebail.2 

The  inhabitants  of  Beit  Ur  were  fully  occupied  on  the 
10th  of  June,  the  time  of  Robinson’s  visit,  with  their  harvest. 
From  the  upper  town  Lydda  and  Ramlah  can  be  seen.  Jaffa 
is  invisible,  however;  but  in  the  neighbourhood,  the  deep, 
green,  and  fruitful  plain  Merj  Ibn  Omeir  is  in  full  view, 
stretching  away  as  far  as  Ekron. 

From  el-Gib,  the  ancient  Gibeon,  the  road  runs  past 
the  wall  known  as  Bir  es  Ozeiz,  through  Beit  Hanina,  and 
over  the  Scopus,  past  the  Graves  of  the  Judges,  and  so  to 
Jerusalem. 

1  E.  D.  Clarke,  Travels ,  iv.  pp.  424-427. 

2  Sebast.  Pauli,  Codice  diplom.  i.  p.  420. 


ROUTE  FROM  JERUSALEM  NORTH- WESTWARD.  243 


DISCURSION  III. 

THE  NORTH-WEST  ROUTE  FROM  JERUSALEM  OVER  THE  MOUNTAINS  OF  EPHRAIM 
TO  KEFR  SABA,  THE  ANCIENT  ANTIPATRIS — FROM  BIREH  AND  JIFNA 
TO  TIBNEH,  ON  WADI  BELAT — THE  BURIAL-PLACE  OF  JOSHUA — PAST 
MEJDEL  YABA,  HAS  EL  AIN,  TO  KEFR  SABA. 

The  thoroughly  traversed  road  from  Jerusalem  to  Jaffa, 
the  ancient  harbour  of  the  Jewish  capital,  where  king  Hiram 
of  Tyre  landed  his  cargoes  of  cedar-wood  from  Lebanon, 
which  were  intended  for  the  erection  of  the  future  temple, 
has  in  modern  times,  as  in  the  remotest  period,  drawn  to 
itself  almost  all  the  commerce  of  the  interior.  In  the  inter¬ 
mediate  period  of  Herod  the  Great,  however,  the  more 
northerly  harbour  of  Stratonis  Turris,  lying  between  Jaffa 
and  Dora,  and  upon  the  river  Choreus,  became  the  chief  port 
of  the  land,  and  through  the  efforts  of  the  Emperor  Augustus 
it  was  converted  into  a  city  of  considerable  splendour,  re¬ 
ceiving  in  honour  of  him  the  name  of  Csesarea.  During  the 
following  three  centuries,  while  the  country  was  under  the 
sway  of  Dome,  this  port  was  the  seat  of  the  Syrian  govern¬ 
ment;  and  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  Vespasian 
it  became  the  most  important  city  of  Palestine,  and  took  the 
name  Csesarea  Palestinse,  in  contradistinction  to  Caesarea 
Philippi,  on  the  upper  Jordan.  It  retained  its  importance 
for  four  centuries,  became  a  chief  episcopal  residence,  and  at 
the  time  of  Justinian  was  the  seat  of  the  primate.  It  was  in 
this  period  that  a  direct  commerce  was  instituted  between 
Jerusalem,  or  HHia  Capitolina  Hadriana,  as  it  was  then 
called,  and  Csesarea,  of  which  not  even  the  Roman  itineraries 
give  any  account :  for  in  the  fullest  of  them  all,  the  Itinerary 
of  Antoninus  and  the  Peutinger  Tables,  there  is  no  trace  of 
it ;  and  the  still  existing  remains  of  military  roads  constructed 
in  the  time  of  the  Roman  supremacy,  still  continue  the  most 
exact  and  definite  memorials  of  that  time.1 

In  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  (xxiii.  23-35),  it  is  stated 
that  Paul,  after  being  charged  by  the  Jews  of  Jerusalem  with 

1  Comp.  Ttin.  ed.  Parthey,  pp.  276,  283  ;  von  Raumer,  Pal.  p.  131, 
Note  95  ;  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  242,  Note  7. 


244 


PALESTINE. 


an  offence  worthy  of  death,  and  brought  to  judgment  before 
Claudius  Lysias  the  chief  captain,  was  sent  by  him  with  an 
escort  of  four  hundred  and  seventy  men  to  Felix,  who  was 
then  governor,  and  lived  at  Caesarea,  to  be  tried  there.  In 
vers.  31,  32,  33,  we  are  told  that  u  the  soldiers,  as  it  was 
commanded  them,  took  Paul,  and  brought  him  by  night  to 
Antipatris.  On  the  morrow  they  left  the  horsemen  to  go 
with  him,  and  returned  to  the  castle :  who,  when  they  came  to 
Caesarea,  and  delivered  the  epistle  to  the  governor,  presented 
Paul  also  before  him.”  It  is  plain  from  this  that  there  existed 
a  military  road  at  that  time  which  could  be  traversed  in  one 
night  (to  avoid  the  heat  of  the  day,  as  is  still  the  custom  in 
the  Orient)  as  far  as  to  Antipatris,  twenty-six  Roman  miles 
south  of  Caesarea  Palestinse.  From  Antipatris  the  prisoner 
was  taken  on  the  next  day,  passing  from  the  high  land  to  the 
coast.  It  is  singular  that  a  road  so  important  as  this  should 
have  fallen  into  oblivion  so  complete,  that  even  the  name  of 
Antipatris  should  have  been  lost  for  centuries ;  that  the  whole 
district  around  it  should  have  become  a  complete  terra  incog¬ 
nita  to  geographers;  that  even  the  maps  of  Robinson  and 
Kiepert  should  display  a  mere  blank  in  this  quarter  ;  and 
that  Berghaus,  in  his  otherwise  admirable  map,  should  be 
obliged  to  mark  this  region  with  groups  of  unauthorized 
mountains  bearing  the  general  name  of  Mountains  of  Ephraim. 
Even  the  excellent  chart  of  Jacotin,  which  has  long  been  the 
standard  as  to  all  that  relates  to  the  western  coast,  is  here  very 
defective.  All  had  to  be  supplemented  by  the  results  of  Dr 
Eli  Smith’s1  journey  through  the  hitherto  un visited  moun¬ 
tain-land  of  Ephraim  and  its  western  slope.  This  journey 
was  taken  in  April  1843  in  conjunction  with  the  missionary 
Calhoun,  the  object  held  distinctly  in  view  being  to  trace  the 
course  of  the  Apostle  Paul  to  Antipatris.  This  place,  it  was 
even  then  suspected,  was  identical  with  Kefr  Saba,  as  Josephus 
says  the  name  of  the  place  known  in  Roman  authors  as 
Antipatris  was  previously  Capliarsaba.2 

1  Eli  Smith,  Visit  to  Antipatris ,  Letter  10th  May  1843 ;  Eobinson, 
Bib.  Sacra,  1843,  pp.  478-498. 

2  Eeland,  Pal.  p.  455. 


ROUTE  TO  ANTIPATEIS. 


245 


First  day’s  march. — From  Jerusalem  by  way  of  Bireh, 
Jifna,  Tibne  (the  Timnath  of  Joshua,  and  his  grave),  to  Mej- 
del  Yaba  (thirty  English  miles). 

Bireh,  the  ancient  Beeroth,  was  reached  in  two  hours  from 
Jerusalem.  From  that  point  the  regular  Nablus  road  runs 
northward,  passing  Jifna,  the  ancient  Goplmali.  Of  this 
route  I  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  in  subsequent  pages. 

The  little  river  Balua,  which  runs  north-west  to  the 
Mediterranean,  was  now  dry.  The  country  east  of  the  great 
watershed  as  far  as  to  Bethel  was  excellently  tilled,  and  pro¬ 
duced  good  returns  of  grapes  and  olives.  Jifna  is  a  little 
more  than  an  hour  and  a  half’s  distance  from  Bireh.  In  the 
place  itself  Smith  found  ninety  Christians.  Here  the  road 
begins  to  bear  towards  the  north-west,  and  after  passing  a 
high  hill  Beir  Zeit  is  reached,1  where  traces  of  an  ancient 
Homan  road  are  found.  The  road  runs  through  a  productive 
and  well-tilled  country,  soon  reaching  the  western  margin  of 
the  high  land,  whence  there  is  a  view  extending  down  to  the 
plain.  The  intermediate  region  does  not  consist  so  much  of 
ridges  or  lines  of  hills  as  it  does  of  isolated  ones,  whose  con¬ 
nection  is  not  readily  seen,  the  wadis  which  separate  them  not 
being  discernible.  This  is  the  case  through  the  entire  descent 

Q  o 

to  the  coast  plain.  It  was  plain,  however,  that  the  path  which 
Dr  Smith  took  ran  on  a  watershed  between  two  wadis  which 
are  the  great  drainers  of  the  whole  region.  The  northern 
one  is  Wadi  Belat,  which  begins  at  Jifna ;  the  other  bears 
the  name  Wadi  Ain  Tuleib.  The  first  of  these  is  the  present 
boundary  between  the  province  of  Jerusalem  and  that  of 
Nablus. 

The  whole  of  the  way  down  Smith  found  to  be  thoroughly 
comfortable,  the  first  portion  seeming  to  have  a  natural  pave¬ 
ment  of  its  own.  Soon,  however,  marked  traces  of  the  old 
Roman  military  road  are  reached.  It  was  nowhere  in  a  per¬ 
fect  state,  and  the  Americans  were  compelled  to  travel  by  the 
side  of  it,  and  not  directly  over  it.  Still  Dr  Smith  asserts  that 
he  never  discovered  more  continuous  sections  of  a  Roman 
road  than  here.  This  discovery  confirmed  him  in  his  belief 
1  E.  Smith,  Visit  to  Antipatris ,  p.  4S0. 


246 


PALESTINE. 


that  he  was  on  the  old  road  running  from  Gophnah  to  Anti¬ 
patris,  and  the  one,  moreover,  which  Paul  must  have  taken 
on  his  way  from  Jerusalem  to  Caesarea. 

The  first  important  locality  which  offered  much  interest 
in  an  antiquarian  point  of  view,  was  a  gentle  hill  crowned 
with  ruins.  These  are  extensive  enough  to  indicate  the 

O 

former  existence  here  of  an  important  city.  On  the  opposite 
side  of  the  wadi  there  is  a  much  higher  eminence,  on  whose 
northern  slope  there  are  several  excavations  hearing  much 
resemblance  to  what  are  called  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings,  near 
Jerusalem.  The  front  of  every  one  had  a  portico,  supported 
by  two  pillars,  the  whole  cut  out  of  solid  rock.  There  was 
no  time  to  open  one  of  these  tombs  and  examine  its  contents, 
which  is  much  to  be  regretted,  as  there  do  not  seem  to  be 
others  of  a  similar  character  in  all  the  rest  of  Palestine. 
The  locality  bears  the  name  Tibneh — the  same  appellation 
which  characterized  the  home  of  Samson’s  wife  on  the  con¬ 
fines  of  Judah  and  Dan,  and  north-west  of  Bethlehem. 
There  wrere  many  places  which  bore  the  name  of  Timnath, 
and  this  must  have  been  one  in  the  territory  of  Ephraim.1 

Josephus,  in  speaking  of  the  different  toparchies  of 
Judaea,  names  the  following:  Jerusalem,  Gophna,  Acrabatta, 
Thamna,  Lydda,  and  Annnaus.  He  writes  Thamna  for 
Timnath ;  and  in  another  passage  the  name  comes  yet  more 
prominently  forward,  when  he  speaks  of  the  cities  whose 
inhabitants  were  sold  into  slavery  by  the  Roman  Praetor 
Cassius :  they  were  Gophna,  Emmaus,  Lydda,  and  Thamna. 
The  name  occurs  also  in  1  Macc.  ix.  50  as  that  of  one 
of  the  cities  which  Bacliides  fortified.  In  describing  the 
advance  of  Vespasian  from  Antipatris,  where  he  spent  two 
days,  Josephus  says  that  he  first  ravaged  the  toparchy  of 
Thamna,  and  then  marched  by  way  of  Lydda,  Jamnia,  and 
Emmaus  to  Jerusalem.  All  these  data  show  that  the 
present  Tibneh  is  no  other  than  the  ancient  Timnath  or 
Thamna,  which  is  spoken  of  in  connection  with  Emmaus, 
Beth-horon,  Gophna,  Pharathan,  and  Antipatris,  near  which 
it  lies.  The  province  of  Thamna  must  have  bordered  on 
1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  i.  p.  17,  Note. 


ROUTE  TO  ANTIPATRIS. 


247 


the  plain,  since  Vespasian  was  able  to  ravage  it  while  on  his 
march. 

In  the  book  of  Judges  (ii.  8,  9),  it  is  stated  that  when 
Joshua  the  son  of  Nun  had  died  at  the  age  of  a  hundred  and 
ten  years,  he  was  buried  “  on  the  border  of  his  inheritance 
in  Timnath-heres,  in  the  Mount  of  Ephraim,  on  the  north 
side  of  the  hill  Gaasli.”  These  vrords  are  borrowed  from  the 
close  of  the  book  of  Joshua  (xxiv.  28,  29).  In  xix.  49,  50, 
it  is  stated  that  after  the  territory  had  been  distributed  to  the 
different  tribes,  Joshua  received  Timnath-serah,  in  Mount 
Ephraim,  where  he  built  a  city  and  spent1  the  remnant  of  his 
days.  These  two  places  are  probably  identical,  as  Reland  has 
shown.  The  site  of  Gaash  and  of  the  Timnath  which  Joshua 
built  in  the  mountains  of  Ephraim  had  become  so  completely 
forgotten  at  the  time  of  Eusebius  and  Jerome,  that  Paula 
was  told  that  the  grave  of  Joshua  was  at  the  more  southern 
Thamna,  the  one  near  Beth-shemesh,  and  in  the  low  land 
west  of  Judah,  i.e.  at  Tibneh,  in  the  territory  of  Dan.  There 
is  very  little  doubt  that  Dr  Smith2  has  discovered  in  the 
Tibneh,  on  the  road  from  Jifna  to  Kefr  Saba,  the  home  and 
the  burial-place  of  Joshua.  The  mountain  on  which  it  lies 
cannot,  therefore,  be  any  other  than  the  Gaash  of  the  Old 
Testament,  although  no  name  seemed  to  be  given  to  it  by  the 
people  of  the  neighbourhood.  Still  it  must  be  confessed  that 
more  investigation  is  required  before  we  can  decide  on  the 
antiquity  of  the  tombs  found  there.  Robinson'"  doubts  the 
identity  of  Timnath-heres  and  Thamna,  the  capital  of  the 
toparchy  of  the  same  name,  although  he  does  not  doubt  that 
Tibneh  and  Thamna  are  the  same. 

The  first  day’s  journey  ended  at  the  village  of  Mejdel 
Yaba,  thirty  miles  from  Jerusalem. 

Second  day’s  journey. — From  Mejdel  Yaba,  by  way  of 
Ras  el  Ain  and  Wadi  Aujeh  to  Kefr  Saba,  the  supposed 
Antipatris. 

1  Keil,  Comment,  zu  Josua,  p.  357 ;  comp.  v.  Baumer,  Pal.  pp.  148, 
149. 

2  E.  Smith,  Visit  to  Antipatris ,  p.  485. 

3  Eobinson,  Note  in  Bib.  Sacra ,  1843,  p.  496. 


248 


PALESTINE. 


The  village  of  Mejdel  Yaba  lies  upon  the  top  of  a  hill 
north  of  the  Belat  valley,  and  contiguous  to  the  plain  of 
Sharon  on  the  west.  The  house  of  the  sheikh  of  the  place, 
standing  on  the  ruins  of  an  ancient  stronghold,  was  found  to 
he  solidly  built,  but  had  been  much  injured  in  the  course  of 
quarrels  with  the  sheikhs  of  the  neighbouring  villages.  Dr 
Smith  inferred  that  Mejdel  must  formerly  have  been  a  place 
of  no  inconsiderable  pretensions ;  and  the  word  itself  indicates 
tower  or  stronghold. 

Instead  of  going  directly  north  from  this  place  to  Kefr 
Saba,  Smith 1  and  his  companion  bore  to  the  right,  and 
visited  Has  el  Ain.  It  took  but  a  few  moments  to  descend 
from  the  hill  to  the  plain,  through  which  the  road  then  ran 
for  a  distance  of  forty  minutes.  Has  el  Ain  is  a  hill  which 
rises  from  the  level  expanse,  and  whose  top  is  almost  entirely 
covered  by  a  square  structure,  having  at  a  distance  tlie  ap¬ 
pearance  of  an  old  khan  like  that  at  liamleh :  loopholes  and 
towers  at  the  corners  show,  however,  that  it  was  a  fort.  At 
the  western  foot  of  this  hill,  in  a  small  morass  full  of  sedge 
and  rushes,  begins  the  Wadi  Aujeli.  Here  is  one  of  the 
largest  springs,  or  series  of  springs,  which  Dr  Smith  had  ever 
seen  ;  in  fact,  so  large  as  to  supply  almost  all  the  water  which 
runs  through  the  wadi.  While  all  the  other  valleys  in  the 
neighbourhood  were  dry,  there  was  so  much  water  here  that 
it  could  be  forded  only  in  certain  places,  and  the  channel  was 
as  broad  as  that  of  the  Jordan  at  Jericho.  Its  water  has  a 
bluish  colour,  the  rate  of  flowing  is  very  leisurely,  and  yet 
the  rate  of  fall  is  sufficiently  great  to  allow  it  to  drive  several 
mills.  It  enters  the  sea  a  short  distance  north  of  J affa ;  and 
at  its  mouth,  von  Wildenbruch 2  tells  us  that,  although  at  the 
time  when  he  passed  through  this  region  all  the  other  water¬ 
courses  were  dry,  the  depth  of  the  water  in  this  was  so  great 
as  to  make  it  impossible  to  cross  it. 

The  road  ran  then  northward  through  the  middle  of  the 
plain.  On  the  east  side  of  this,  the  mountains  of  Samaria  rise 

1  E.  Smith,  as  quoted  above,  p.  491. 

2  Yon  Wildenbruch,  Reiser  oute  in  Syrien ,  in  Monatsb.  d.  Geogr.  Ges. 
in  Berlin ,  Pt.  i.  p.  232. 


SMITH'S  ROUTE  TO  ANTIPAT  III S. 


249 


gradually,  and  form  tlie  edge  of  the  celebrated  plain  of  Sharon. 
Towards  the  north-west  there  is  a  row  of  low  wooded  hills, 
which  separate  the  level  tract  from  the  sea.  The  soil  is  a 
black  loam,  almost  everywhere  tilled,  and  of  so  great  fertility, 
that  it  might  easily  become  the  granary  of  the  whole  country. 
Fields  of  wheat  and  barley  reach  away  farther  than  the  eye 
can  pierce,  with  here  and  there  a  tract  of  cotton  interspersed. 

Forty  minutes  brought  the  travellers  to  Jiljulieh.1  This 
place  lies  upon  a  very  low  and  broken  range  of  hills,  extend¬ 
ing  westward  from  the  mountains  on  the  east  quite  to  the 
middle  of  the  plain.  The  village  is  now  a  small  one,  but  was 
plainly  at  one  time  of  considerable  importance :  its  popula¬ 
tion  is  entirely  Mohammedan.  On  the  south  side  there  is  a 
khan,  a  structure  of  some  antiquity,  and  which  formed  one 
of  a  series  of  caravanserais  extending  along  the  whole  of 
the  old  route  from  Gaza  to  Damascus,  by  way  of  the  coast, 
the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  and  Scythopolis. 

In  the  middle  of  the  deserted  khan  is  a  great  round  well, 
and  at  the  entrance  to  the  court  of  the  building  are  the  ruins 
of  a  minaret.  This  place  Smith  conjectured  to  be  identical 
with  the  Gilgal  mentioned 2  in  Josh.  xii.  23,  where  dwelt 
the  “  king  of  the  nations,”  and  in  whose  neighbourhood  were 
Carmel  and  Dor.  The  Onomasticon ,  indeed,  speaks  of  a 
Gilgal  six  miles  farther  north  (Villa  nomine  Galgulis  ab 
Antipatride  in  sexto  milliario  contra  septentrionem),  while 
this  one  lies  about  two  miles  south-east  from  Kefr  Saba. 
On  this  ground  von  Raumer  proposed,  before  Smith  had 
made  his  careful  examination  of  the  region,  to  read  u  contra 
meridiem.”  There  is,  it  seems,  a  village  of  Kilkilia  lying 
north-east  of  Kefr  Saba,  but  the  orthography  of  the  name 
hardly  makes  it  possible  to  suppose  that  it  corresponds  to  the 
place  mentioned  in  the  Onomasticon. 

The  next  place  of  antiquarian  interest  met  by  Smith  and 
Calhoun  was  Kefr  Saba.  The  village,  like  all  the  others  of 
this  plain,  is  composed  of  houses  built  entirely  of  earth,  there 

1  Von  Wildenbruch,  p.  492. 

2  Keil,  Comment,  zu  Josua ,  p.  237  ;  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p. 
243  ;  v.  Raumer,  Pal.  p.  139,  Note. 


250 


PALESTINE. 


being  but  a  single  one  of  stone.  This  seemed  to  have  once 
been  a  mosque,  although  it  was  entirely  destitute  of  a  minaret. 
No  other  traces  of  antiquity  were  observable.  The  only 
thing  which  bore  the  marks  of  care  in  the  making,  was  a  well 
east  of  the  village :  it  was  surrounded  with  a  wall  of  hewn 
stones,  and  was  fifty-seven  feet  deep  to  the  water.  The 
village  stands  upon  a  slight  elevation  near  the  range  of  hills 
along  the  sea-coast,  and  separated  from  them  by  an  inter¬ 
mediate  plain.  Only  one  wadi  could  be  seen,  a  small  one, 
running  in  the  direction  of  the  Aujeh.  The  land  in  the 
neighbourhood  seemed  to  be  in  an  excellent  state  of  tillage, 
and  to  be  very  fertile. 

As  Josephus  states  that  the  name  borne  by  Antipatris, 
before  it  had  received  the  designation  given  it  by  Herod,  was 
Xaj3ap£af3a,  there  is  the  whole  strength  of  the  argument 
derivable  from  the  identity  of  the  words,1  that  the  modern 
village  of  Kefr  Saba  occupies  the  site  of  Antipatris.  Still 
there  is  no  certainty  that,  in  the  course  of  time,  the  place  desig¬ 
nated  may  have  been  lost,  while  the  designation  has  remained. 
In  some  places  the  old  name  has  been  transferred  to  a  spot 
in  the  neighbourhood ;  as,  for  example,  that  of  Hebron  has 
been  carried  from  the  mountain-land  down  to  the  valley.  At 
Jericho  or  er-Kiha  there  has  been  a  change;  and  Sarepta, 
which  lay  on  the  sea-coast,  is  now  found  in  the  name  Sara- 
fend,  which  is  applied  to  a  place  on  the  hills  removed  a  con¬ 
siderable  distance  from  the  sea. 

The  extremely  accurate  and  observing  Dr  Smith  con¬ 
jectured,  even  while  descending  the  hill  of  Mejdel  Yaba,  that 
there  were  the  natural  conditions  of  the  ancient  city  of  Anti¬ 
patris,  the  position  being  a  very  commanding  one.  It  was 
there  that  he  emerged  from  the  mountain  land,  and  entered 
the  more  secure  region  of  the  plain.  The  distance,  too,  from 
Jerusalem  (thirty  miles)  seemed  great  enough.  The  whole 
ride  to  Kefr  Saba,  eight  miles  farther,  would  have  been  a 
very  trying  one  for  a  single  night,  unless  it  were  protracted 
into  the  next  morning.  And  this,  too,  would  make  correct 

1  Reland,  Pal.  p.  690  ;  von  Kaumer,  Pal.  p.  131 ;  Robinson,  Bib.  Re¬ 
search.  i.  p.  401,  Note,  and  in  Bib.  Sacra,  1843,  p.  497. 


SMITH'S  ROUTE  TO  ANTIPATRTS. 


251 


and  plain  what  Jerome  says  regarding  the  position  of  Gal- 
gulis,  six  Roman  miles  north  of  Antipatris.  The  statement 
of  the  Bordeaux  Itinerary ,  that  Lydda  was  ten  Roman  miles 
from  Antipatris,  would  also  coincide  with  this  theory.  The 
fact  that  Alexander  Jannseus  undertook  to  cut  off  the  march 
of  Antiochus  from  Syria  to  Gaza,  by  excavating  a  trench  a 
hundred  and  fifty  stadia  long,  and  extending  from  Antipatris 
to  Joppa,  makes  it  the  more  certain  that  Kefr  Saba  cannot 
be  the  site  of  the  Roman  city.  To  construct  a  trench  of  any 
strategic  value  from  this  place  to  the  sea,  would  be  a  work 
of  the  greatest  difficulty,  the  distance  being  seven  and  a  half 
hours  ;  and  besides,  the  work  would  be  useless,  on  this  ground, 
that  the  enemy  would  pass  around  the  eastern  end  of  it,  there 
being  no  necessity  to  cross  it  at  all.  It  is  quite  otherwise  if 
Mejdel  Yaba  be  considered  the  site  of  Antipatris  ;  for  in  that 
case  the  trench  would  only  need  to  be  carried  for  a  distance 
of  two  English  miles  to  the  Ras  el  Ain,  where  it  would  con¬ 
nect  with  the  Wadi  Aujeh,  itself  one  of  the  most  formidable 
natural  barriers  to  an  advancing  army. 

Yet  there  are  other  places  in  Josephus  which  militate 
against  this  view  ;  as,  for  example,  the  one  in  which  he  states 
that  Herod  built  the  city  called  Caphar-Saba  in  the  plain. 
In  another  passage  he  says  that  this  plain  was  the  finest  part 
of  his  dominions, — an  assertion  that  could  by  no  means  be 
made  of  Mejdel.  Moreover,  according  to  J osephus,  Antipatris 
was  surrounded  with  water,  and  with  fine  forest  trees.  There 
are  only  two  brooklets  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Kefr  Saba, 
and  these  were  dry  in  April,  although  in  the  winter-time 
they  might  perhaps  answer  to  J  osephus’  description.  There 
is  a  well  there,  moreover,  fifty-seven  feet  deep  ;  while  all  the 
drinking  water  which  is  used  at  Mejdel  must  be  brought 
from  Ras  el  Ain,  two  miles  away.  The  great  argument,  how¬ 
ever,  is  the  identity  of  the  name — not  absolutely  conclusive, 
indeed,  but  of  great  weight.  In  view  of  all  the  circumstances 
of  the  case,  Smith  concludes  that  Kefr  Saba  best  answers  to 
the  location  of  Antipatris  and  the  Caphar-Saba  of  Josephus.1 
It  is  a  remarkable  fact,  however,  that  no  traces  of  buildings 
1  Comp.  v.  Eaumer,  Pal.  p.  130,  Note  95. 


252 


PALESTINE. 


are  to  be  found,  since  the  city  was  built  with  Herod’s  cus¬ 
tomary  magnificence,  if  not  with  even  greater  splendour  than 
he  ordinarily  displayed. 

It  may  be  remarked,  that  subsequently  to  Dr  Smith’s 
exploration  of  this  neighbourhood,  von  Wildenbruch1  passed 
through  it,  but  was  unable  to  find  any  trace  of  a  place  bear¬ 
ing  the  name  of  Kefr  Saba.  Nearly  all  the  other  particulars 
given  by  Smith  respecting  this  region  were  fully  confirmed, 
however.2 

1  Yon  Wildenbruch,  Reiseroute  in  Syrien ,  in  Monatsb.  d.  Geogr.  Gesell. 
in  Berlin,  i.  p.  283,  with  Plate  v. 

2  Robinson,  in  his  Later  Researches,  pp.  138,  189,  sees  no  reason  for 
doubting  that  Kefr  Saba  marks  the  site  of  the  ancient  Antipatris. 
Among  the  recent  authorities  who  have  pronounced  upon  this  question, 
Van  der  Velde’s  voice  is  emphatically  in  favour  of  Mejdel.  See  Mem.  to 
his  Map,  p.  285.  As  the  region  is  not  yet  thoroughly  explored,  it  may 
be  that  some  light  may  still  be  thrown  upon  the  difficulty.— Ed. 


CHAPTER  III. 


/ 


THE  COAST  PLAIN,  FROM  THE  PLAIN  OF  PHILISTIA  TO 
THE  CARMEL  RIDGE. 

SEPHELA  AND  SAROM,  WITH  THEIR  CITIES  AND  MAIN  HIGHWAYS — JOPPA  OR 
JAFFA — RAMLEH  AND  THE  PLAIN  OF  SHARON — THE  EASTERN  OR  MOUN¬ 
TAIN  ROAD  AS  FAR  AS  THE  PLAIN  OF  ESDRAELON — THE  WESTERN  OR 
COAST  ROAD  TO  CiESAREA,  AND  THE  PROMONTORY  OF  CARMEL. 

E  have  already  followed  the  coast  road  from  Gaza 
past  the  cities  of  Askelon,  Ashdod,  Jabneh,  and 
Ekron,  as  far  north  as  Nahr  Rubin.  We  now 
continue  our  course  northward  over  the  coast  plain 
of  Sharon,  and  along  the  side  of  the  Syrian  mountain  ridge 
as  far  north  as  the  Carmel  range,  which  forms  the  natural 
barrier  between  Samaria  and  Galilee. 

The  coast  plain  of  Sepliel  was  entirely  in  the  possession 
of  the  Philistines  as  far  north  as  the  Nahr  Rubin,  which 
ran  between  Akir  (Ekron)  and  Yebna.  North  of  it  lay 
Phoenician  cities,  to  which  the  Philistines  seem  to  have  laid 
no  claim  ;  all  their  efforts  at  conquest  having  been  made  on 
the  eastern  or  Judaean  side.  There  is  not  a  trace  of  an  expe¬ 
dition  having  gone  northward.  The  nearest  Phoenician  cities 
were  Joppa  and  Dor.  These  came  subsequently  under  the 
sway  of  the  Israelites ;  but  even  there  they  appear  to  have 
been  for  a  long  time  under  Phoenician  influence. 

DISCURSION  T. 

JOPPA  AND  RAMLEH. 

1.  Joppa ,  the  Port  of  Jerusalem. 

Joppa,  lying  on  the  meridian  of  32°  2'  north  lat.,1  and 
six  hours  north  of  Jamnia — the  present  Jebnah — was  the 
1  Niebuhr,  Iieise,  Pt.  iii.  p.  41. 


253 


254 


PALESTINE. 


most  important  commercial  place  on  the  whole  coast.  It  is 
a  city  of  great  antiquity,  and  is  characterized  by  Pliny  in 
the  following  words  :  “Joppe  Phoenicum  antiquior  terrarum 
inundatione,  ut  ferunt.  Insidet  collem  prsejacente  saxo,  in 
quo  vinculorum  Andromedse  vestigia  ostendunt.  Colitur 
illic  fabulosa  Derceto  ;  inde  Apollonia and  then  he  adds  : 
“  Csesarea  .  .  .  finis  Palestine  .  .  .  deinde  Phoenice,” — an 
indication  that  he  wished  to  discriminate  between  the  Phoe¬ 
nician  city  and  Phoenicia  itself.  According  to  his  account, 
the  place  was  standing  before  the  Deluge.  Pliny,  as  well  as 
Strabo,  doubles  the  “p”  in  the  name,  although  it  should 
probably  be  written  with  but  one, — Jope  meaning,  in  the 
Phoenician  language,  high  place.1  Strabo,  who  never  was 
in  Palestine,  describes  the  situation  of  the  place  truthfully, 
except  in  respect  to  the  height  at  which  it  lies.  He  remarks 
that  Jerusalem  could  be  seen  from  it. 

In  the  book  of  Joshua  the  place  is  known  under  the  name 
of  Japho  (Josh.  xix.  46),  the  ’Idcpa  of  the  later  Maccabees, 
whence  came  the  orthography  Jaffa,2  Jafa,  which,  at  the  time 
of  the  apportioning  of  the  territory  of  Dan,  in  which  it  lay, 
was  rejected.  There  is  no  existing  trace  of  evidence  that 
this  important  commercial  city  was  in  the  earliest  times  in 
the  possession  of  the  Philistines  or  the  Israelites ;  but  the 
legends  anciently  current  there  relating  to  a  former  deluge 
of  the  place,  to  Andromeda,  and  to  the  visit  of  a  huge  marine 
monster,  appear  to  indicate  that  at  a  very  early  period  the 
Phoenicians  had  established  business  relations  with  the  place. 
The  assertion  of  Hiram  the  king  of  Tyre,  that  he  “  will  cut 
wood  out  of  Lebanon,  and  bring  it  in  floats  by  sea  to  Joppa,” 
whence  it  was  to  be  carried  up  to  Jerusalem,  shows  the 
closeness  of  the  connection  between  the  Tyrians  and  this  port. 
This  connection  existed  until  the  time  of  Cyrus  ;  for  the 
roads  of  Joppa  were  the  anchoring-place  for  the  Phoenician 
ships  which  brought  the  cedar-wood  for  the  rebuilding  of  the 
temple  (Ezra  iii.  7).  The  prophet  Jonah  embarked  in  a  ship 

1  Movers,  Die  Phonizier ,  Pt.  ii.  p.  177 ;  Hitzig,  Die  Philistder ,  pp. 
131-134. 

2  Keil,  Comment,  zu  Josua ,  p.  356. 


JOPPA ,  THE  HARBOUR  OF  JERUSALEM.  255 


at  Joppa,  wishing  to  escape  from  the  command  of  the  Lord 
which  had  called  him  to  Nineveh,  and  to  go  to  the  Tyrian 
colony  of  Tartessus  or  Tarshish.  As  this  ship  belonged  to 
men  who  did  not  believe  in  Jehovah,  it  is  plain  that  it  was 
manned  by  Carthaginians.  Indeed,  the  narrative  presupposes 
that  Joppa  was  a  Phoenician  harbour.  It  was  subsequently 
used  as  a  port  for  transporting  the  corn  of  J udsea  to  Tyre  and 
Sidon,  which  was  paid  for  by  gold  sent  in  government  ships. 
Only  the  presupposition  of  a  very  ancient  connection  of  this 
place  with  Jerusalem  can  explain  the  allusion  of  Herodotus 
to  Kadytis,  as  if  Jerusalem  itself  were  meant.1  And,  indeed, 
a  seafaring  nation  like  the  Phoenicians  had  good  reason  to 
establish  a  colony  here,  where,  as  Strabo  remarks,  the  coast¬ 
line  turns  from  the  west  more  to  the  north,  where  two  good 
springs  were  found,  and  where  were  the  best  harbours,  poor 
though  they  were,  that  were  found  upon  this  whole  coast. 
Still  it  is  impossible  to  conjecture,  from  its  present  condition, 
what  it  may  have  been  at  an  earlier  period.2  It  only  passed 
into  the  possession  of  the  Israelites  at  the  time  of  the  Mac¬ 
cabees,  since  which  period  its  destinies  have  been  connected 
with  those  of  Palestine.  The  older  form  of  the  name,  Jope  or 
Joppe,  has  been  used  interchangeably  with  the  later  and  more 
general  form,  Jafa  or  Jaffa,  down  to  the  present  time. 

The  present  Jaffa  has  experienced  many  changes  :  it  has 
often  been  destroyed,  and  again  rebuilt.  Through  all  the 
centuries  since  Christianity  was  introduced  into  Palestine,  it 
has  been  a  prominent  resort  of  pilgrims.  It  was  the  first  city 
that  was  taken  by  Godfrey  of  Bouillon,  who  gave  it  to  the 
Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,3  together  with  many  other 
places  taken  subsequently, — all  of  which  again  reverted  to 
the  Mohammedans  in  the  time  of  Saladin.  When  Rauwolf  4 
visited  Joppa  in  1573,  he  found  it  wholly  destroyed,  not  a 
house  being  left  standing  ;  and  it  was  hard  for  him  to  believe 

1  Krafft,  Topogr.  p.  143. 

2  Niebuhr,  Reise,  iii.  p.  42. 

3  Sebastiano  Pauli,  Codice  diplomatico ,  etc.,  de  Regno  di  Gerusalemme , 

i.  p.  441. 

4  Kauwolffen,  Reyss ,  etc.,  p.  15. 


256 


PALESTINE. 


that  there  was  the  site  of  a  city  which  had  once  been  large 
and  prosperous. 

Yet  the  favourable  position  of  Joppa,  as  the  only  harbour 
of  all  central  Palestine,  could  not  allow  it  to  remain  long  in 
ruins.  At  Niebuhr’s  time  (1766)  there  were  between  four 
and  five  hundred  houses,  and  several  mosques.  A  marsh 
lying  in  the  neighbourhood  had  been  drained  and  converted 
into  gardens,  making  the  atmosphere  more  healthful  than  it 
had  been  before.  The  houses  on  the  sea-shore  were  built  of 
limestone.  The  most  of  them  lay  on  an  eminence,  at  least  a 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  high.  A  couple  of  unimportant  towers 
served  to  guard  the  town.  The  harbour,  always  a  dangerous 
one,  had  been  so  filled  up  with  rubbish,  that  ships  were  ob¬ 
liged  to  anchor  half  an  hour’s  distance  away,  and  still  were 
not  always  secure,  even  in  the  summer-time.  It  seemed  to 
Niebuhr  1  as  if  the  shore  had  very  much  changed ;  and  an  old 
man  assured  him  that  he  could  remember  the  time  that  small 
craft  could  come  close  to  the  shore,  and  anchor  where  it  was 
then  perfectly  dry.  A  stone  quay  2  of  great  antiquity  is  to 
be  seen,  from  which  a  flight  of  steps  descends  to  the  strand. 
The  water  is  now  twenty  paces  from  the  extreme  end  of  this 
quay.  Dr  Barth,  who  has  recently  visited  Jaffa,  remarks 
that  the  contracted  basin  forming  the  harbour  of  this  place 
secures  very  little  safety  to  ships,  and  that  the  men  who 
attend  to  the  unloading  are  compelled  to  wade  in  the  water 
up  to  their  shoulders,  to  get  the  goods  to  the  land.  The 
Egyptian  vessels  which  come  hither  never  find  it  easy3  to 
discharge  their  cargoes ;  and  even  their  passengers  must 
sometimes  be  carried  ashore  on  the  shoulders  of  men.  The 
commerce  of  the  place  is  therefore  now  very  unimportant. 
Lusignan  speaks  4  more  fully  about  the  harbour  privileges  of 
Jaffa,  and  shows  that  its  very  want  of  safety  was  what  con¬ 
verted  it  into  the  nest  of  sea  pirates  which  both  Josephus  and 

1  Niebuhr,  Reise ,  iii.  p.  42. 

2  0.  v.  Richter,  Wallfalirten ,  p.  10. 

s  Sieber,  Reise ,  p.  17. 

4  S.  Lusignan,  Letters ,  ii.  p.  79  ;  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  p. 
257  ;  Buckingham,  Trav.  in  Pal.  i.  p.  229. 


JAFFA ,  THE  HARBOUR  OF  JERUSALEM.  257 


Strabo  declare  that  it  was.  He  says  that  the  port  extended 
from  north  to  south,  and  lay  close  to  the  main  town  ;  that  it 
had  two  approaches  by  sea,  the  northern  one  of  which  was 
the  widest  but  the  most  dangerous,  because  it  was  obstructed 
by  sand-banks  ;  the  second,  at  the  west,  was  very  narrow,  and 
had  a  channel  of  only  about  ten  feet  deep.  Browne  1  says  that 
there  are  extensive  coral  formations  near  Jaffa.  The  northern 
part  of  the  basin,  in  which  vessels  anchor,  is  only  about 
twenty  paces  wide ;  the  southern  not  even  so  broad  as  that, 
but  a  little  safer,  since  it  is  in  part  sheltered  from  the  wind 
by  high  rocks,  and  by  the  wall  of  the  town.  The  very  slight 
depth  of  six,  and  at  most  ten  feet,  is  the  result  of  the  filling 
up  which  can  be  seen  in  some  places  going  on.  If  the 
harbour  were  artificially  deepened,  it  would  be  easy  to  find 
room  for  fifteen  or  sixteen  vessels,  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  tons 
each,  to  lie  at  anchor.  When  Vespasian  had  passed  through 
Syria  with  his  army,  and  had  taken  possession  of  Tiberias,  he 
sent  his  general,  Cestius,  to  Jaffa,  to  exterminate  the  pirates 
of  that  port,  who  were  ravaging  the  whole  coast.  The  pirate 
fleet,  closely  driven  together  in  the  little  harbour,  became  the 
victim  of  a  vehement  storm  from  the  north, — the  melansboreas 
of  Josephus,  and  the  black  boreas  of  even  the  present  day. 
Its  violence  was  so  great  as  to  permit  none  of  the  vessels  to 
encounter  the  waves  which  rolled  on  from  the  west,  and  the 
pirates  all  perished.  The  statements  in  the  defective  passage 
of  Strabo  (xvi.  759)  seem  to  have  related  to  this  occurrence. 
The  rocks,  which  even  in  the  time  of  Jerome  bore  the  name  of 
the  “  Place  of  Deliverance,”  are  the  same  where  the  fettered 
Andromeda  is  said  to  have  been  released  from  Perseus, — a 
proof  of  the  existence  of  ancient  Assyrian  mythology  on  this 
coast.  In  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  Joppa  is  mentioned  in 
well-known  connection  with  some  of  the  incidents  in  the  life 
of  Peter  (Acts  ix.  x.  xi.). 

It  is  easy  to  see  what  perils  must  have  been  encountered 
during  the  long  centuries  of  the  middle  ages  by  the  thousands 
of  vessels  which  landed  at  Jaffa  with  their  tens  of  thousands 

1  W.  G.  Browne,  Reise  in  Darfur  und  Syrien ,  trails,  by  Sprengel, 
p.  353. 

VOL.  IV. 


B, 


258 


PALESTINE. 


of  crusaders  and  pilgrims ;  and  how  formidable  those  perils 
must  continue  to  be  down  to  the  present  day. 

The  houses  and  walls  of  the  present  Jaffa,  which  lies  on  a 
long  ridge  rising  in  terraces,  are  by  no  means  insignificant ; 
yet  when  one  enters  the  town  he  finds  a  confused  mass  of 
modern  houses  built  in  that  unattractive  manner  which  cha¬ 
racterizes  the  towns  of  the  East.  Russegger1  conjectured 
that  the  population  was  between  two  and  three  thousand. 
The  view  from  the  top  of  the  hill  is  enchanting.  On  one 
side  is  the  emerald-green  sea,  on  the  other  the  fertile  plain 
of  Sharon,  seamed  with  shallow  watercourses;  in  the  imme¬ 
diate  foreground  there  are  dense  groves  of  fruit  trees,  in  the 
distance  there  are  the  blue  hills  of  Judaea  and  Ephraim. 
The  combined  beauty  of  all  these  objects  is  some  compensa¬ 
tion  for  the  repulsive  aspect  of  the  streets  of  the  city  itself. 
At  the  east  gate  there  is  a  fountain  of  white  marble,  finely 
ornamented  in  the  Saracen  style,2  and  bearing  a  gilded 
Arabic  inscription.  The  best  houses  of  the  merchants  and 
the  best  shops  are  on  the  sea  side  of  the  town,  under  the 
protection  of  the  battery.  Here,  too,  are  the  dwellings  of 
the  European  consular  agents  ;  here  is  a  Franciscan  convent 
for  Catholic  pilgrims,  and  a  small  Greek  and  Armenian  one. 
The  bazaar  is  well  supplied  with  goods,  and  the  gardens 
which  surround  the  city  furnish  it  with  a  great  abundance 
of  fruit.  When  Browne0  was  here  at  the  close  of  the  last 
century,  the  trees  which  had  formerly  been  the  great  charm 
of  Jaffa  had  been  converted  into  firewood  by  the  Mameluke 
soldiery  which  had  invested  the  place.  Yet  they  shot  up 
again  with  such  rapidity,  that  when  Russegger  was  here  in 
1838  the  lemon  and  orange  trees  were  bending  under  the 
weight  of  their  burdens,  and  the  red  pomegranates  filled  the 
air  every  evening  with  fragrance.  The  irrigation  is  effected 
by  means  of  wheels.  The  figs  and  oranges  of  Jaffa  are  noted 
for  their  size  and  flavour.  The  water-melons,  which  thrive 
on  the  sandy  soil  around,  are  in  great  repute,4  and  are  carried 

1  Russegger,  Reise,  iii.  p.  118  ;  Richter,  Reise,  p.  10. 

2  Sieber,  Reise,  p.  20.  3  Browne,  Reise  in  Darfur  und  Syrien,  352. 

4  Eli  Smith,  in  Bib.  Sacra ,  p.  405. 


JAFFA ,  THE  HARBOUR  OF  JERUSALEM.  259 


in  great  numbers  to  Alexandria  and  Cairo.  Through  all 
Syria,  too,  they  have  a  reputation.  A  camel-load  of  them 
cost  in  Sieber’s  time  (1818)  only  a  few  pence.  The  vegetables 
of  J affa,  too,  are  abundant  and  cheap :  the  soil  yields  as 
freely  as  it  did  centuries  ago.  The  horticulturist  Bove,1  who 
visited  the  place  in  1832,  was  surprised  at  its  great  fertility. 
He  observed  three  kinds  of  figs,  apricots,  almonds,  pome¬ 
granates,  peaches,  oranges,  pears  and  apples,  plums,  bananas, 
and  grapes.  The  sugar-cane  gi’ows  to  a  height  of  five  or  six 
feet,  but  no  sugar  is  made  from  it.  The  vegetables  raised 
are  chiefly  tomatoes,  maize,  and  cabbage.  All  the  gardens 
are  hedged  with  the  thorny  cactus  opuntia ,  which  makes  the 
best  fences,  since  the  wood  grows  to  the  size  of  small  trees. 
Bove  was  surprised  to  see  that  the  agave,  or  North  American 
aloe,  which  had  thriven  so  well  in  the  western  basin  of  the 
Mediterranean,  was  almost  entirely  lacking  in  Palestine  and 
Syria. 

Wilson  found2  only  a  small  number  of  Jews  in  Jaffa, 
about  twenty-six  families  in  all,  comprising  a  hundred  and 
twenty  souls,  making  an  insignificant  portion  of  the  entire 
population  of  the  place,  which  he  estimates  at  five  thousand. 
The  Sephardim  Jews  had  mostly  come  within  recent  years 
from  North  Africa,  and  plied  the  occupations  of  tradesmen, 
silk-workers,  and  carpenters.  The  silks  of  Jaffa  have  for  a 
long  time  had  a  good  reputation  in  the  East.  The  Armenian 
Convent  in  Jaffa,3  once  the  hospital  of  the  French,  is  shown 
as  the  place  where  Bonaparte  caused  his  wounded  men  to  be 
poisoned,  in  order  to  prevent  their  falling  into  the  hands  of 
the  victorious  Turks;  and  a  quarter  of  an  hour’s  distance  from 
the  city  is  the  camp  where  he  ordered  the  inhabitants  of  the 
place  to  be  hewn  down  in  cold  blood,  after  the  town  had  fallen 
into  his  hands. 

1  Rove,  Bulletin ,  quoted  above,  iii.  p.  381. 

2  Wilson,  Lands ,  etc.,  ii.  p.  258  ;  Kinnear,  Cairo,  etc.,  p.  214. 

8  Irby  and  Mangles,  Trav.  p.  184  ;  Buckingham,  Pal.  i.  p.  249. 


260 


PALESTINE. 


2.  Ramleli  or  JRamula. 

South-south-east  from  Jaffa,  past  the  fruitful  fields  of 
Jesor,1  past  Kubab,  Beit  Dejan  (Beit-dagon),  and  Surafend 
(Sariphsea),  at  a  distance  of  three  hours,  lies  Ramleh,  on  the 
great  commercial  thoroughfare  from  Egypt  to  Damascus,  and 
at  the  junction  of  the  main  road  from  Jerusalem  to  Jaffa. 
The  situation  is  one,  therefore,  which  would  always  make 
the  place  of  no  little  importance.  The  whole  of  the  road 
from  Jaffa  thither  is  sandy,  yet  the  ground  is  rolling,  and 
under  good  cultivation.  The  towns  and  villages  on  every 
side  are  generally  built  on  knolls,  and  display  some  traces 
of  antiquity.  One  of  these  is  Surafend,  which  occupies  the 
site  of  the  ancient  Sariphaea,  which,  according  to  Reland, 
was  the  centre  of  an  important  bishopric. 

Like  Gaza  and  Jaffa,  Ramleh  is  surrounded  by  fruitful2 
gardens  and  the  finest  oranges  and  other  fruits.  Browne 
speaks  of  seeing  olive  trees  here,  together  with  carobs  and 
sycamores.  Sieber  saw  palm  trees  at  Ramleh,  hut  says 
that  the  climate  is  too  cold  for  them  to  bring  their  fruit  to 
maturity.  The  tufted  tops  are  finer  in  appearance,  he 
asserts,  than  even  those  of  Egypt.3  The  town  with  its  white¬ 
washed  houses  lies  on  the  eastern  side  of  a  low  and  broad 
hill  rising  out  of  the  sandy  but  fruitful  plain.  The  streets 
all  sink  towards  the  east.  There  are  stone  houses  neatly 
built  in  some  of  the  streets  ;  scattered  among  them  are 
several  mosques,  which  probably  occupy  the  site  of  earlier 
churches  ;  and  here,  too,  is  found  one  of  the  largest  Latin 
convents4  in  all  Palestine,  surrounded  by  high  walls.  This 
was  founded  as  a  hospice  in  1420  by  Philip  of  Burgundy, 
but  since  the  eighteenth  century  it  has  been  used  as  a 
home  for  Franciscan  pilgrims.  Its  church  is  very  small. 
The  convent  pays  to  the  governor,  in  return  for  his  mili¬ 
tary  protection,  a  hundred  piastres  and  three  yards  of  cloth. 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  229  et  sq. ;  Wilson,  Lands ,  etc.,  ii. 
pp.  259-263. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  242. 

3  Sieber,  Reise,  p.  27. 


4  Prokesch,  Reise,  p.  37. 


RAMLEH. 


261 


The  place  has  a  population  of  three  thousand  inhabitants, 
including  a  thousand  Armenians  and  Greeks.  The  water  is 
supplied  from  good  cisterns.  About  ten  minutes  west  of  the 
city,  on  the  highest  spot  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  among 
the  ruins  of  a  large  square  wall  which  seems  to  have  once 
belonged  to  a  stately  khan,  rises  the  celebrated  tower  which 
far  and  wide  announces  the  situation  of  Ramleh. 

The  former  town  of  Ramleh,  or  Ramula  as  it  was  called, 
appears,  judging  from  the  extent  of  the  ruins  and  from  the 
number  of  cisterns,  to  have  been  a  place  covering  much  more 
ground  than  does  the  present  one.  One  of  the  structures 
still  partially  remaining,  north  of  the  city,  has,  according  to 
Prokesch,  twenty-four  arches  still  standing,  and  is  ascribed, 
as  so  many  other  buildings  in  Palestine,  to  the  Empress 
Helena.  Scholtz1  says  that  this  ruin  is  of  remarkable  size  and 
strength,  it  being  thirty-three  feet  long  and  thirty  feet  wide. 
In  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Frank  Convent  there  are  very 
large  cisterns,  giving  an  ample  supply  of  water  for  the  city. 

At  the  time  of  Jerome  this  place  was  pointed  out  to 
Paula,  while  she  was  journeying  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Lydda,  as  the  site  of  Arimathsea,  the  residence  of  Joseph,  the 
rich  friend  of  the  Saviour,  who  begged  the  body  of  Jesus, 
and  wished  to  lay  it  in  his  own  tomb  (Matt,  xxvii.  57 ;  John 
xix.  38).  Whether  this  Ramleh  or  Ramula  existed  in  the 
New  Testament  times,  or  whether  it  was  built  subsequently, 
it  is  now  very  difficult  to  determine,  in  consequence  of  the 
number  of  places  known  by  this  name.  It  may  only  be  said 
here,  that  Reland  as  well  as  Robinson2  doubt  the  location  of 
Arimathsea  there,  and  suspect  that  the  Toparchia  Thamnitica 
lay  farther  north.  The  latter  could  discover  no  evidence  that 
it  was  south  of  Diospolis  (Lydda),  since  this  was  the  capital  of 
a  toparchy.  In  spite  of  all  the  learning  which  von  RaumeG 
has  devoted  to  the  identification  of  Arimathsea,  he  has  been 
unable  to  solve  the  question  with  any  certainty. 

1  Scholtz,  Reise,  p.  149. 

3  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  pp.  234,  239  et  sq.  ;  Bib.  Sacra ,  1843, 
Note  to  p.  565. 

3  Yon  Raumer,  Pal.  p.  197,  and  in  App.  p.  405. 


202 


PALESTINE. 


The  name  Ramleh,  i.e.  the  sandy,  is  first  met  in  the  year 
870  in  the  account  of  Bernardus,  de  Loc.  Sanctis;  and  this 
name  Ramleh,  which  Rodiger1  decides  cannot  he  derived 
from  Ramah,  appears  to  confirm  the  comparatively  modern 
origin  of  the  place.  According  to  him,  the  name  is  not  at 
all  ancient,  but  a  genuine  modern  name,  which  denotes  the 
sandy  nature  of  the  soil ;  while  the  Hebrew  Ramah  indicates 
a  u  high  place,”  and  is  as  little  applicable  to  the  situation  of 
Ramleh  as  it  is  to  any  other  place  in  the  whole  plain  along 
the  coast.  William  of  Tyre2  expresses  his  doubts  as  to  the 
antiquity  of  the  place  (called  by  him  Rarnula),  and  states 
that  at  the  time  it  was  taken  by  the  Christians,  the  Mo¬ 
hammedan  population  fled  for  safety  to  Askelon,  and  the 
city  was  converted  into  a  stronghold. 

The  Arabian  authors,  Abulfeda3  among  them,  assert  that 
this  Ramleh  is  no  ancient  city,  but  was  built  by  Abd  el 
Melek,  who  built  a  palace  there  after  Lydda  had  fallen  into 
decline ;  yet  it  is  possible  to  believe  with  Clarke,  that  only 
the  restoration  of  a  former  city  was  meant  by  those  writers. 
At  all  events,  since  the  time  when  they  wrote,  Ramleh  has 
become  a  large  and  important  place.  According  to  Edrisi4 
and  Abulfeda,  it  was  the  joint  capital  of  Palestine,  and  a 
great  centre  of  trade.  It  was  in  that  flourishing  time  that 
the  important  structures  whose  ruins  are  now  standing  wrere 
erected.  At  the  era  of  the  Crusades,  Ramleh  had  a  citadel 
and  twelve  gates  ;  with  important  bazaars  at  those  which  led 
to  Jaffa,  Jerusalem,  Ascalon,  and  Nablus. 

Robinson5  has  given  the  history  of  Ramleh  down  to  its 
decline.  According  to  his  view,  the  ordinary  belief  that  the 
high  tower  of  this  place,  with  the  ruins  lying  around  it,  was 
a  church  of  the  time  of  the  Crusades,  is  entirely  unfounded  ; 
as  well  as  the  supposition  that  it  was  a  church  founded  by 
the  Empress  Helena.  He  asserts  that  it  is  of  Saracen 

1  Rodiger,  in  Rev.  already  quoted,  p.  576. 

2  Gesta  Dei ,  ii.  ;  Will.  Tyr.  Hist.  x.  17,  fol.  785. 

3  Abulfeda,  Tab.  Syria?,  ed.  Koehler,  p.  79. 

4  Edrisi,  in  Jaubert,  p.  339  ;  Mejr  ed  Din,  in  Fundgr.  ii.  p.  135. 

5  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  235  et  sq. 


LAM  LEU. 


2G3 


architecture,  and  before  the  year  1555  no  one  ever  called 
it  a  Christian  edifice.  Scholtz1  says  that  three  hundred  paces 
west  of  Ramleh  (which  he  calls  Rama)  lie  the  ruins  of  the 
great  building  known  as  Jamea  Elabidh,  or  the  Church 
of  the  Forty  Martyrs.  It  was  six  hundred  paces  in  length, 
and  was  erected  at  the  time  of  the  Crusades  by  the  Knights 
Templar.  There  are  still  to  be  seen  the  churches  above 
and  below  ground,  with  their  nine  pillars  and  two  naves, 
the  subterranean  dwellings,  magazines,  and  cisterns,  and  the 
external  walls  with  the  cells.  In  later  times  the  Arabs  con¬ 
verted  it  into  three  mosques,  as  appears  from  the  inscription  : 
the  largest  lies  in  the  northern,  the  other  two  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  square  building,  between  which  parts  there  were 
two  chapels.  The  wall  of  the  lofty  minaret,  to  whose  top  a 
hundred  and  twenty-five  steps  lead,  is  inferior  in  strength 
and  beauty  to  the  one  which  was  built  by  the  Christians. 
The  authorities  had  in  vain  tried  to  use  the  ancient  masonry, 
but  could  not  overcome  the  difficulties  that  lay  in  the  way 
of  working  it. 

Robinson2  alludes  to  the  great  skill  in  the  workmanship, 
to  the  massiveness  of  the  subterranean  masonry,  and  to  the 
rooms,  which  he  considered  storehouses  for  wares.  The 
tower,  he  says,  stands  at  present  all  alone  :  it  is  Saracenic  in 
its  architecture,  is  square  in  form,  and  is  composed  of  well- 
hewn  stones  ;  the  windows  are  various  in  form,  and  all  of 
them  arched.  The  corners  of  the  gate  are  supported  by  long 
slender  pillars,  the  sides  broken  by  several  storeys,  and  all 
become  narrower  as  they  ascend.  There  is  a  staircase  of  a 
hundred  and  twenty  steps  inside,  leading  to  the  gallery, 
which  is  at  least  that  number  of  feet  from  the  ground. 
Robinson  compares  the  extensive  view  from  the  top  with  that 
from  the  Milan  Cathedral  over  the  plain  of  Lombardy.  At 
the  east  are  the  steep  mountains  of  Judaea,  at  the  west  the 
blue  waves  of  the  Mediterranean.  Southward  the  view 
extends  over  the  fine  Philistine  territory,  and  northward  the 
plain  of  Sharon  stretches  away  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach, 

1  Scholtz,  Reise ,  p.  148. 

2  liobinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  230  ;  Prokesch,  Reise ,  pp.  37-39. 


264 


PALESTINE. 


covered  with  its  green  carpet  of  millet,  or  dotted  with 
corn  and  cotton1  fields.  Directly  beneath  are  the  flourishing 
gardens  and  groves  of  Bamleh.  It  is  only  a  short  distance 
to  Lydda  at  the  north,  and  to  Akir  at  the  south  with  its 
pleasing  minarets.  The  whole  landscape  is  a  beautiful  one, 
particularly  in  the  light  of  the  setting  sun. 

The  French  traveller  and  antiquarian  De  Mas  Latrie," 
who  has  recently  inspected  the  tower,  declares  it  to  be  a 
masterpiece  of  workmanship,  dating  from  the  time  of  the 
Knights  Templar  when  in  their  power  and  prime :  he  thinks 
it  was  intended  to  serve  as  a  hospice  for  the  pilgrims  who 
visited  the  Holy  Land,  and  that,  at  the  same  time,  it  was 
meant  to  serve  as  a  fortress  in  case  of  assault.  This,  he 
thinks,  is  proved  by  the  small  windows,  which  could  also 
serve  the  purpose  of  port-holes. 

Kodiger,3  on  the  contrary,  judges  from  an  inscription  on 
the  tower,  that  it  is  a  work  of  Saracen  origin.  Yon  Wilden- 
bruch4  regards  it  as  a  work  of  the  Templars,  and  thinks 
that  the  inscription  was  added  subsequently.  A  copy  of 
this  has  been  translated  by  Professor  Larsow,  and  runs  as 
follows  : — 

“  This  tower  was  begun  by  the  Sultan  Abul  Fetach 
Mohammed,  son  of  Sultan  Said  Malek  el  Mansur  Saif  ed- 
donia  Wa  ed  din  (the  Sword  of  the  World  of  Faith),  our 
Lord  of  the  Salechite  Hasem,  Prince  of  Faithful :  may  God 
prolong  his  days,  and  extend  his  victorious  banners.  And 
ended  was  this  tower  in  the  middle  of  the  month  Shaban,  in 
the  year  718  of  the  Hegira”  [i.e.  a.d.  1318]. 

The  Sultan  Abul  Fetach  Mohammed  mentioned  in  this 
inscription  is  of  the  dynasty  of  the  Baharidic  Mamelukes 
of  Egypt,  whose  power  was  extended  over  Syria  from  a.d. 
1293  to  1341.  It  is  probably  the  same  one  who  repaired 
the  aqueduct  at  Jerusalem.  Thus  it  seems  that  not  all  the 
doubts  are  solved  regarding  this  remarkable  tower,  which  is 

1  Rauwolf,  Reise,  p.  19. 

2  L.  de  Mas  Latrie,  in  Archives  de  Miss.  Scientif.  et  Lit.  p.  106. 

3  Rodiger,  in  Review  quoted  above,  p.  575. 

4  Von  Wildenbruch,  in  Moncitsb.  d.  geogr.  Ges.  in  Berlin ,  i.  p.  239. 


PLAIN  OF  SHARON 


265 


interesting  not  only  for  its  antiquarian  character,  but  also  for 
the  extensive  prospect  which  it  affords. 

discursion  ir. 

THE  PLAIN  OF  SHARON,  AND  THE  ROADS  WHICH  TRAVERSE  IT  :  THE  GREAT 
DAMASCUS  HIGHWAY  OVER  MOUNT  CARMEL  TO  THE  PLAIN  OF  ESDRAELON. 

From  the  three  central  points  which  have  now  been 
named,  there  stretches  away  to  the  north  as  far  as  the 
Carmel  ridge,  and  between  the  mountains  of  Ephraim  and 
the  Mediterranean,  the  great  maritime  lowland  of  Palestine, 
the  largest  part  of  which  is  usually  known  under  the  appella¬ 
tion  of  the  plain  of  Sharon. 

The  portion  of  the  coast-plain  extending  southward  from 
Eleutheropolis  to  Gaza,  Gerar,  and  Beersheba,  was  known  as 
Darom  or  Daromas :  the  name  Sephela  was  given  at  the  time 
of  Jerome  to  all  the  coast-plain  from  Eleutheropolis  north 
and  west  as  far  as  Askelon  and  Jerusalem,  and  even  as  far  as 
to  Jabneh  and  Akir,  one  of  the  most  fertile  and  best  tilled1 
portions  of  the  whole  country.  Saron  or  Saronas  was  the 
name  given  to  the  tract  extending  from  Joppa  to  the  Carmel 
ridge.  The  latter  separates  it  from  the  plain  of  Esdraelon. 
In  a  more  limited  sense,  only  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of 
Lydda  and  Joppa  was  called  Sharon — a  tract  which  was  and 
still  is  of  almost  unexampled  fertility.  It  was  in  Sharon  that 
David  found  pasturage  for  his  flocks  (1  Chron.  xxviii.  29). 

Isaiah  praises  the  glory  of  the  Lebanon,  and  the  beauty 
of  Carmel  and  Sharon.  The  Song  of  Solomon  extols  the 
rose  of  Sharon  and  the  lily  of  the  valleys.  The  old  beauty 
of  the  place  has  continued  down  to  the  present  day ;  but  the 
plain  has  become  a  solitude,  and  a  soil  rich  enough  to  supply 
all  Palestine  with  food  is  in  great  part  untilled.  On  this 
account  an  effort  has  been  made  of  late  to  colonize  the  dis¬ 
trict  with  Germans,2  there  being  not  only  the  best  of  land 

1  Sieber,  Reise,  p.  19. 

2  Missionsblatt  des  Rhcin-Westph.  Vereins  far  Israel ,  July  1850, 
No.  7. 


266 


PALESTINE. 


and  an  abundance  of  water,  but  also  many  walls  and  arches 

7  J 

which  would  afford  a  temporary  shelter.  Besides  this  advan¬ 
tage,  there  is  not  an  absolute  deficiency  in  wood,  although 
in  all  probability  it  was  once  more  plentiful  than  at  the  pre¬ 
sent  time.  In  fact,  a  part  of  the  plain  once  bore  the  name 
Apvfios,  i.e.  the  forest;  and  this  portion,1  as  well  as  Mount 
Carmel,  fell  into  the  hands  of  Vespasian  at  the  time  when  he 
vanquished  the  pirates  of  the  coast.  Even  at  the  present 
day  there  is  no  lack  of  oak  in  the  northern  portion  of  the 
plain,  although,  as  it  approaches  Jaffa,  it  begins  to  degenerate. 
Otto  von  Richter  says,2  that  on  the  best  tilled  and  most  popu¬ 
lous  side  of  the  plain  the  view  is  charming:  in  the  spring  the 
ground  is  covered  with  roses,  lilies,  tulips,  narcissus,  anemones, 
and  other  flowers.  The  vegetation  of  the  plain  is  determined 
in  some  measure  by  more  or  less  elevated  strata  of  sandstone 
on  which  it  grows  :  the  places  which  lie  deepest  produce 
sesamum  and  cotton ;  the  knolls  around  all  the  villages  are 
covered  with  olive  groves,  while  the  whole  surface  of  the 
ground  is  a  mass  of  green.  The  numerous  stone  houses 
which  are  to  be  seen  on  every  little  elevation  of  ground, 
although  the  most  of  them  are  in  ruins,  give  to  the  whole  an 
animated  look,  which  is  missed  in  Egypt,  where  the  huts  are 
built  of  mud. 

Among  the  streams  which  cross  the  plain  of  Sharon,  the 
only  one  which  seems  to  be  of  any  importance  is  the  Nahr 
Aujeh.  This,  however,  has  no  permanent  character.  It 
commences  at  the  Ras  el  Ain,  where  there  are  very  pro¬ 
fuse  springs,  and,  flowing  westward,  enters  the  sea  two  hours 
north  of  Jaffa.  At  the  mouth  it  has  such  width  and  breadth, 
that  von  WildenbruclV  was  unable  to  cross  it.  Its  sources 
were  discovered  by  Dr  Eli  Smith,4  as  I  have  mentioned  on  a 
previous  page. 

There  is  a  second  stream,  given  in  most  of  the  maps  as 
the  Nahr  Arsuf,  deriving  its  appellation  from  the  village  of 

1  Reland,  Pal.  pp.  188,  370. 

3  0.  v.  Richter,  Wallfahrten ,  p.  13. 

3  Von  Wildenbruch,  in  Monatsb.  d.  geog.  Ges.  in  Berlin ,  i.  p.  232. 

4  S.  Smith,  in  Bib.  Sacra ,  p.  495. 


PLAIN  OF  SIIA  PON. 


267 


Arsuf,  north  of  Jaffa.  Yon  Wildenbruch,1  who  thoroughly 
explored  this  region,  was,  however,  unable  to  find  any  trace 
whatever  of  it.  Between  Nahr  Aujeh  and  Abu  Zabura  no 
river  flows  into  the  sea.  There  are  indeed  marshes  and  little 
lakes  extending  as  far  as  Arsuf  (near  el-Burj,  according  to 
von  Wildenbruch’s  notes),  yet  they  form  no  connected  stream. 

The  pi’esent  ruined  village  of  Arsuf  was,  at  the  time  of 
the  Crusades,2  a  tolerably  strong  military  position,  and  was 
considered  to  be  the  site  of  Antipatris,  although  bearing  even 
then  the  name  by  which  it  is  now  called.  No  remains  of 
ancient  masonry  are,  however,  according  to  Buckingham,3  to 
be  seen  there. 

The  entire  row  of  hills  which  run  west  of  the  plain  of 
Sharon,  and  parallel  with  the  coast,  are  evidently  composed 
of  drift  sand  which  has  been  thrown  up,  and  are  entirely 
different  from  the  soil  of  the  plain  itself.  Ilasselquist4  was 
one  of  the  first  to  notice  the  distinction  between  the  composi¬ 
tion  of  the  two.  The  soil  of  the  plain  proper  is  a  red  sand, 
which  probably  gave  currency  to  an  old  myth,  that  in  the 
country  of  the  Hebrews  near  Joppa  there  is  a  fountain 
whose  w7aters  are  as  red  as  blood.  The  explanation  given  for 
this  colour  w7as,  that  after  Perseus  had  slain  the  sea-monster 
which  watched  Andromeda,  he  washed  off  the  blood  which 
stained  his  person  at  this  spring.  Buckingham5 *  claims  to 
have  discovered  the  fountain  itself,  about  a  half-hour’s  dis¬ 
tance  north-east  of  Jaffa;  but  he  says  that  the  water  is  clear, 
cool,  and  refreshing.  Not  far  east  of  Lyclda,  the  peculiar 
characteristics  of  the  plain  of  Sharon  disappear,  and  the 
uniform  horizontal  strata  of  limestone  and  chalk  appear,3 
which  characterize  the  whole  mountain  region  from  Gaza  to 
Samaria.  These  often  assume  the  form  of  an  amphitheatre, 
and  ascend  bj7  a  series  of  steps,  favouring  the  terrace  culture 


1  Yon  Wildenbruch,  as  above,  p.  232  ;  v.  Prokesch,  Reise,  p.  36. 

2  Will.  Tyr.  Hist,  in  Gesta  Dei ,  ii.  ix.  19,  fol.  774. 

3  Buckingham,  Travels  in  Pal.  i.  p.  219. 

4  Hasselquist,  Reise  in  Pal.  ed.  by  Linne,  p.  141. 

c  Buckingham,  Travels ,  i.  p.  251. 

o  Sieber,  Reise ,  p.  31. 


268 


PALESTINE. 


of  ancient  times.  It  is  from  one  of  these  steps  to  another 
that  the  mule  now  pursues  his  perilous  way. 

The  whole  plain  north  of  Lydda  appears  to  rest  upon  a 
loose  tertiary  sandstone.  It  is  very  light  and  fertile ;  and 
where  it  is  not  given  over  to  thorns  and  thistles,  it  affords 
excellent  pasturage.1 


DISCURSION  III. 

THE  EASTERN  OR  MOUNTAIN  ROAD  THROUGH  THE  PLAIN  OF  SHARON  :  THE 

GREAT  CARAVAN  ROAD  FROM  LYDDA  OVER  THE  CARMEL  RANGE  TO  THE 

PLAIN  OF  ESDRAELON. 

The  great  caravan  road  from  Egypt,  which  runs  along 
the  eastern  border  of  the  plain  of  Sharon,  and  which  forms, 
in  contrast  with  the  western  route,  a  real  mountain  road, 
passes  over  Has  el  Ain, “and  through  Kefr  Seba,  Gilgoul, 
Kulensawe,  Kakun,  and  Kannir.  It  then  bears  towards  the 
north-east,  leaving  the  direct  northern  route,  and  passes  over 
the  Carmel  ridge,  traversing  el-Lejjun  (Legio  or  Megiddo), 
and  then  entering  the  great  Esdraelon  plain,  to  continue  its 
course  towards  Tiberias  and  Damascus.  The  fullest  account 
of  this  route  we  owe  to  von  Wildenbruch,2  although  it  is  only 
too  brief. 

From  Rami  eh  to  Lydda  it  is  three-quarters  of  an  hour: 
a  Wadi  Nahr  Musrara  (perhaps  identical  with  Nahr  Betra) 
is  here  crossed  by  a  bridge,  near  which  are  some  lions  hewn 
out  of  the  stone,  and  bearing  an  inscription  which  states  that 
Mohammed  Sultan  was  the  builder  of  the  bridge.  From  this 

O 

point  to  a  Gothic  bridge  is  an  hour’s  distance  :  north-west  of 
this  lies  Jehudie.  Two  hours  and  a  half  more  bring  one  to 
Remthieh.  From  there  it  is  four  hours  to  Ras  el  Ain.  Right 
of  that,  and  past  the  hills  of  Bir  Adas,  is  Gilgoul,  five  hours 
away.  Thence  it  is  eight  hours  to  Kulensawe,  in  the  imme¬ 
diate  neighbourhood  of  which  is  a  fort  similar  to  that  at  Ras 
el  Ain. 

1  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  p.  253  ;  Russegger,  Reise,  iii.  p.  118. 

2  Yon  Wildenbruch,  Reiseroute  in  Syrien,  p.  233,  and  Tab.  v.  No.  6. 


MOUNTAIN  ROAD  OF  SHARON. 


269 


From  this  point  Ivakun  seems  to  be  about  nine  and  three- 
quarters  hours.  From  Kakun  to  an  old  Roman  cross  road  it 
is  two  hours,  and  thence  to  the  uninhabited  and  ruined  villag;e 
of  Bedouss  it  is  two  and  three-quarters  hours.  This  whole 
way,  which  runs  through  a  hitherto  unexplored  tract,  is  every¬ 
where  covered  with  the  remains  of  former  towns  and  villages. 
From  Kakun  to  a  Roman  aqueduct  it  is  three  and  three- 
quarters  hours.  Here  is  the  opening  of  the  pass  running 
north-west  through  the  Carmel  rid  ire.  The  oaks  which  adorn 
the  northern  part  of  the  plain  of  Sharon  now  cease.  Six 
and  a  quarter  hours  from  Kakun  bring  one  to  the  watershed 
of  the  range,  and  a  view  is  gained  of  Tabor  and  the  hills  of 
Galilee.  After  seven  and  a  half  hours,  most  of  it  on  a  well- 
preserved  Roman  road,  the  Khan  el  Legoun  is  reached.  It 
lies  on  the  great  pile  of  ruins  marking  the  old  Campus 
Legionis  (Megiddo),  which  commanded  the  entrance  to  the 
plain  of  Esdraelon. 


DISCUKSION  IY. 

THE  WESTERN  OR  COAST  ROUTE  THROUGH  THE  PLAIN  OF  SHARON  :  KAISA- 

RIYEH,  THE  ANCIENT  CjESAREA  PALESTINE— CiESAREA  MARITIMA,  ORI¬ 
GINALLY  STRATONIS  TURRIS,  SUBSEQUENTLY  CAESAREA  STRATONIS. 

From  Caesarea  southward  over  the  Kudeira  and  Nahr 
Abu  Zabura  to  Muchalid  is  a  distance  of  three  and  a  half 
hours;  from  that  point  it  is  six  hours  to  Jaffa,  the  road 
passing  Arsuf  and  el-Aujeh.  This  was  the  time  taken  by 
Wildenbruch.1  Dr  Smith2  travelled  in  company  with  ladies, 
and  more  leisurely,  taking  thirteen  hours  for  the  ride. 

In  the  ancient  history  of  Palestine  there  is  no  mention 
of  Caesarea,  despite  its  subsequent  form,  and  even  its  name 
indicates  its  comparatively  modern  origin.  Although  lying 
between  Joppa  on  the  south  and  Dor3  on  the  north,  and  the 
only  harbour  of  any  importance  between  them,  it  was  only  at 

1  Yon  Wildenbruch,  i.  p.  232 ;  v.  Prokesch,  Reise ,  pp.  28  35. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  Note  xl.  p.  528. 

3  Movers,  Phonizier ,  ii.  p.  176. 


270 


PALESTINE. 


the  time  of  Herod  that  this  port  assumed  prominence.  In 
the  Old  Testament  there  is  no  allusion  to  the  place,  although 
its  northern  neighbour  Dor  is  mentioned  twice  in  Joshua 
(once  as  Naphath  Dor)  as  a  part  of  the  subjugated  territory. 
At  Solomon’s  time  Dor  belonged  to  Israel,  for  there  lived 
one  of  the  twelve  men  whose  duty  it  was  to  supply  the  king’s 
household  with  provisions  (1  Kings  iv.  11).  It  is  true  that 
Dor  and  Naphath  Dor  are  not  precisely  identical,  the  former 
being  the  port,  and  the  latter  the  city  connected  with  it,  but 
lying  inland  a  little  wTay  from  the  sea.  Dor,  like  the  other 
cities  of  the  coast  already  alluded  to,  would  seem  to  have  been 
in  the  possession  or  under  the  control  of  the  Israelites.  At 
the  time  of  Darius  of  Persia,  Scylax  of  Karyanda  calls  the 
city  of  Dor,  between  Carmel  and  Joppa,  a  city  of  the  Sido- 
nians ;  and  Steph.  Byz.  terms  it  a  little  cit}T,  inhabited  by 
Phoenicians,  while  Naphath  Dor  belonged  to  the  Jews.  The 
port  seems  to  have  been  indispensable  to  the  former,  as  Joppa 
Avas  the  port  next  south  of  Tyre.  But  both  of  these  harbours, 
Joppa  and  Dor,  Avere  of  insignificant  pretensions  ;  and  unques¬ 
tionably  in  consequence  of  this,  Herod  formed  the  plan  of 
building  a  new  one  between  them.  He  devoted  twelve  years 
to  this  magnificent  undertaking,  and  ga\m  to  the  place  thus 
created  the  name  Caesarea  Palestine,1  in  honour  of  the  Em¬ 
peror  Augustus  Caesar.  The  briefer  appellation  Palestine 
came  subsequently  into  vogue,  to  discriminate  between  it  and 
Caesarea  Philippi,  at  the  head  waters  of  the  Jordan.  The 
Caesarea  on  the  sea  also  bore  the  name  of  Caesarea  Maritima. 
Strabo  mentions  it  under  the  mere  appellation  of  Strato’s 
Tower,  and  speaks  of  a  landing-place  there.  Ptolemy  sub¬ 
sequently  alludes  to  it  as  Caesarea  Stratonis;  and  Pliny  shows 
that  this  must  have  been  identical  with  Caesarea,  by  the  Avords, 
“  Stratonis  turris,  eadem  Caesarea,  ab  Herode  rege  condita ; 
nunc  Colonia  prima  Flavia,  a  Vespasiano  Imperatore  deducta;” 
and  adds  to  this,  that  here  was  the  northern  extremity  of 
Palestine,  Avliat  was  contiguous  to  it  being  Phoenicia.  This 
language  may  have  borne  relation  to  the  Phoenician  Dora, 
which  lay  between  Caesarea  and  Carmel. 

1  Reland,  Pal.  pp.  27,  670. 


CJESAREA. 


271 


Josephus  gives  the  most  detailed  description  of  the  great 
undertaking  of  Herod  alluded  to  above.  It  might  be  taken  as 
exaggerated,  did  it  not  correspond  to  the  general  magnificence 
of  the  other  known  works  of  Herod,  and  to  the  extent  of  the 
ruins  seen  at  the  present  day,  and  described  by  Prokesch,1 
Wilson,  and  Barth.  Herod,  says  Josephus,  found  at  the 
deserted  place  called  Strato's  Tower  (Strato  seems  to  have 
been  a  Greek  wanderer)  an  admirable  position  for  a  harbour, 
which  should  shelter  vessels  against  the  violent  south-west 
winds,  which  were  so  injurious  to  the  shipping  along  that 
coast.  There  was  then  not  a  single  good  harbour  for  vessels 
to  betake  themselves  to  in  time  of  storm.  He  not  only  built 
a  magnificent  city,  but  excavated  and  walled  in  a  harbour 
larger  than  the  Piraeus  at  Athens.  The  whole  of  the  build¬ 
ing  materials  had  to  be  brought  from  a  great  distance  at 
large  expense,  there  being  none  suitable  there.  Herod  was 
able,  says  Josephus,  to  conquer  the  obstacles  of  nature,  and 
to  unite  massiveness  with  taste  and  beauty.  The  immense 
hewn  stones,  many  of  them  fifty  feet  long,  nine  feet  wide, 
and  as  many  high,  were  sunk  fifteen  yards  in  the  water,  and 
so  up  to  the  surface.  In  this  way  a  dam  two  hundred  feet 
broad  was  built  out  into  the  water.  On  this  mole  a  wall 
rose  two  hundred  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  the 
lower  hundred  of  which  were  intended  to  encounter  the  dash¬ 
ing  of  the  waves.  Dr  Barth  found  the  remains  of  these  in 
such  quantities  as  to  admit  of  but  one  entrance  into  the  har¬ 
bour.  The  wall  was  fortified  by  means  of  towers,  the  largest 
of  which,  a  structure  of  great  size,  received  the  name  of  the 
Drusus  Tower.  There  were  several  arches  for  people  to  land 
upon,  and  a  broad  quay  ran  around  the  harbour,  making  a 
beautiful  walk.  The  entrance  was  on  the  north  side,  the 
wind  being  the  lightest  in  that  quarter.  Three  colossal  figures, 
supported  by  columns,  stood  on  each  side  of  the  channel.  At 
the  left  there  was  a  massive  tower  which  served  as  a  break¬ 
water,  and  opposite  it  were  two  more  massive  aggregations 

1  Von  Prokesch,  Heine,  pp.  28-34 ;  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible,  ii. 
pp.  250-253;  Dr  Barth,  ms.,  The  Christian  in  Palestine,  p.  230,  Tab. 
xlv. 


272 


PALESTINE. 


of  masonry,  which  were  firmly  bound  together.  Along  the 
whole  seaboard  Herod  built  a  row  of  elegant  houses  of  white 
hammered  stone.  These  stood  equidistant  from  each  other ; 
and  on  a  height  near  the  sea  there  was  a  temple  of  remark¬ 
able  size  and  beauty,  which  navigators  could  see  from  a  great 
distance.  On  this  temple  stood  the  colossal  statue  of  Caesar 
Augustus,  constructed  after  the  model  of  the  Jupiter  in 
Olympia,  and  one  of  Roma,  taken  from  the  Juno  at  Argos. 
The  foundation  of  the  city  was  traversed  by  numerous  arches 
and  long  passages,  so  that  the  city  in  flood  time  could  be 
thoroughly  cleansed  and  purified.  For  the  citizens  of 
Caesarea  Herod  built  a  theatre,  and  behind  this  an  amphi¬ 
theatre,  intended  to  accommodate  a  large  number  of  specta¬ 
tors.  After  the  completion  of  these  great  works,  he  sent 
his  two  sons  Alexander  and  Aristobulus  to  Rome,  to  offer 
their  services  to  the  emperor,  and  to  pay  him  their  homage. 

At  the  time  of  the  apostles,  this  port  of  Caesarea  became 
a  very  important  centre  in  diffusing  the  gospel.  Philip,  we 
are  told  in  Acts  viii.  20,  preached  in  all  the  cities  along  the 
shore,  from  Ashdod  or  Azotus  to  Caesarea  :  Peter  went  from 
Joppa  to  the  latter  city,  where  he  met  the  pious  Cornelius, 
who  was  at  the  head  of  the  Italian  band  (Acts  x.  1,  xi.  1). 
Here  Herod  came  to  the  dreadful  end  recounted  in  Acts 
xii.  19-24.  It  was  to  Caesarea  that  Paul  was  brought, 
after  the  attempt  had  been  made  to  put  him  to  death  in 
Jerusalem  ;  and  thence  it  was  that  he  was  sent  to  Tarsus 
(Acts  ix.  30).  On  his  return  from  Greece  to  Palestine  he 
found  a  church  in  Caesarea,  and  after  greeting  its  members 
he  went  thence  to  Antioch  (Acts  xviii.  22).  Coming  back 
from  Tyre  and  Ptolemais  to  Caesarea,  he  tarried  several  days 
in  the  house  of  Philip  the  evangelist  (Acts  xxi.  8),  and  then 
went  up  to  Jerusalem  to  the  feast,  although  it  was  told  him 
that  he  would  be  bound  there,  and  delivered  into  the  hands 
of  the  Gentiles.  Persecuted  there  to  the  death  by  the  people 
and  the  high  priest  Ananias,  he  gave  himself  up  as  a 
Roman  to  Claudius  Lysias,  and  was  escorted  to  Caesarea 
to  be  tried.  Here  he  was  heard  in  the  judgment-hall  of 
Herod,  as  he  pleaded  his  innocence,  and  showed  himself 


CAESAREA. 


273 


to  be  not  worthy  of  punishment.  Yet  in  Caesarea  he  was 
detained  two  years  as  a  prisoner ;  and  after  F estus  had 
been  made  governor,  he  had  a  hearing  before  king  Herod, 
his  wife  Bernice,  and  Festus.  Although  found  not  worthy 
of  death,  he  was  placed  with  other  prisoners  on  board  a 
ship,  and  sent  from  this  port  of  Caesarea,  by  way  of  Sidon, 
Cyprus,  and  Lycia,  to  Borne,  to  be  tried  there.  In  conse¬ 
quence  of  the  establishing  of  a  Boman  colony  there  by 
Vespasian,  and  in  consequence,  too,  of  the  speedy  downfall 
of  Jerusalem,  Caesarea  became  a  place  of  great  importance. 
The  Christian  church  was  strong  there  also ;  and  under 
the  Christian  emperors  it  became  the  Metropolis  Palaestinae 
Primge.  The  church  had  a  very  strong  support  there  in  the 
celebrated  scholar  Bishop  Eusebius.  Church  councils  were 
held  there  in  the  years  198  and  553  ;  and  for  a  long  time 
it  had  the  supremacy  over  Jerusalem.  Begarding  the  seven 
years’  siege  by  Omar,  and  the  subjection  of  the  city  by 
the  caliphs,  the  historians  give  very  diverse1  accounts;  yet 
the  two  hundred  thousand  pieces  of  gold  which  the  defence¬ 
less  citizens  offered  to  pay  after  the  Boman  troops  had 
cowardly  deserted  them,  show  how  wealthy  the  city  must 
have  been.  The  booty,  too,  taken  by  Godfrey2  of  Bouillon 
was  very  great,  when,  supported  by  Pisanese  and  Genoese, 
he  took  the  city  in  1101,  after  a  fifteen  days’  siege.  It  had 
always  been  the  landing-place  of  the  crusaders,  and  now 
became  the  capital  of  the  archbishopric  which  was  estab¬ 
lished.  Fearful  was  the  slaughter  of  all  the  Moslems  in  their 
mosque,  formerly  a  Christian  church,  which  stood  upon  the 
same  height  where  Herod’s  temple  had  stood.  In  it  they 
found  that  celebrated  six-sided  green  glass  jar  which  was  said 
to  have  come  down  from  the  Saviour’s  time,  and  to  have  been 
used  at  the  Last  Supper.  So  high  did  it  stand  in  honour,  that 
the  Genoese  preferred  to  take  it  rather  than  gold  as  their 
share  of  the  spoils,  and  it  may  now  be  seen  in  the  Church  of 
St  Laurence,  Genoa.  The  wondering  crowd  is  told  that  it 

1  Gibbon,  History  of  the  Decline  and  Fall ,  etc.,  Ger.  eel.  Pt.  xiv. 
p.  331 ;  Weil,  Ges.  der  Clialifen ,  i.  pp.  80-83. 

2  Wilken,  Ges.  der  Kreaz.  ii.  p.  102. 

VOL.  IV.  S 


(r 


274 


PALESTINE. 


was  a  present  from  the  queen  of  Sheba  to  Solomon,  and  that 
it  formed  a  part  of  the  ornaments  of  the  temple  on  Mount 
Moriah.1 

During  the  Crusades,  Caesarea  was  twice  destroyed  by 
the  Moslems,  and  twice  rebuilt  by  the  Christians.  In  1251 
it  was  fortified  with  extraordinary  pains  by  Louis  ix.  For 
fourteen  years  it  endured  the  assaults  of  the  bold  Sultan 
Bibar,  who  took  it  in  1265,  and  so  thoroughly  demolished  it, 
that,  according  to  the  possibly  somewhat  hyperbolical  ex¬ 
pression  of  Makrizi,2  not  one  stone  was  left  upon  another. 
About  the  middle  of  the  twelfth  century,  Edrisi  speaks  of  it 
as  a  large  city,  having  suburbs  and  a  fortification.  Benjamin 
of  Tudela  alludes  to  it  as  a  well-built  port,  and  thought  it  to 
be  the  Gath  of  the  Philistines.  In  the  time  of  his  visit,  there 
were  only  ten  Jews  and  two  hundred  Samaritans  there.  Abul- 
feda,3  on  the  other  hand,  who  well  knew  its  former  greatness, 
saw  but  a  single  ruin  there,  Wilson,  who  wandered  over  the 
widely  scattered  masses  of  masonry  which  once  adorned  this 
capital,  found  only  a  single  herdsman  and  two  Jewish  families 
inhabiting  the  place.  At  D’Arvieux’s4  time  some  fishermen 
lived  there,  who  were  very  skilful  in  plying  their  trade,  but 
who  suffered  many  losses  by  the  invasion  of  corsairs.  Irby 
and  Mangles5  could  devote  but  a  few  hours  to  studying  the 
ruins  of  Caesarea,  for  a  thorough  examination  of  which  Dr 
Barth  asserts  that  several  days  would  hardly  suffice.  They 
held  the  ancient  moats  and  the  city  walls  to  be  of  Saracenic 
origin.  At  the  extreme  end  of  the  promontory  they  saw 
what  seemed  to  them  the  ruins  of  a  Boman  temple,  supported 
by  colossal  granite  pillars.  They  noticed  also  a  little  cove, 
on  whose  northern  side  was  a  landing-place,  still  exhibiting 
arches  that  once  sustained  warehouses.  Near  this  the  traces 
of  an  aqueduct  could  be  seen,  though  no  water  now  flows 
near,  but  that  of  the  disagreeably  tasting  Nahr  Zerka.  In 

1  Guide  de  Genes ,  p.  134,  with  Sketch,  Tab.  il  Catino. 

2  Edrisi,  in  Jaubert,  i.  p.  348  ;  Benj.  Tud.  Itin.  ed.  Asher,  i.  p.  65. 

3  Abutted®  Tabid.  Syr.  ed.  Koehler,  p.  80. 

4  D’Arvieux,  Nachricht.  ii.  p.  13. 

6  Irby  and  Mangles,  Trav.  p.  189. 


CAESAREA. 


275 


addition  to  tlie  Saracen  walls,  they  found  a  marble  column, 
bearing  a  Latin  inscription,  and  the  name  Septim.  Severus. 
This  Mr  Banks  declared  to  he  a  Bom  an  milestone. 

The  fullest  existing  description  of  the  ruins  of  Caesarea 
we  owe  to  von  Prokesch,  although  very  much  remains  to  be 
done  by  future  antiquarians.  The  results  of  Dr  Barth’s 
careful  inquiries  there  have  not  yet  been  given  to  the 
world. 

Perpendicularly  to  the  western  coast-line  on  which  the 
ancient  Caesarea  was  built,  a  mass  of  rock  extends  for  about 
four  hundred  paces  direct  into  the  sea ;  and  a  little  cove  on 
the  north  and  the  south  side  of  this  serves  to  protect  the  tiny 
vessels  which  navigate  the  neighbouring  waters.  Whether 
the  Tower  of  Strato  stood  upon  the  extremity  of  this  mass  of 
rock,  is  a  fact  now  hard  to  learn.  There  are  walls  and  gates 
still  standing,  according  to  von  Prokesch  ;  and  yet,  although 
they  are  large  enough  to  afford  comfortable  shelter,  the  fear 
of  the  Beduins  prevents  any  from  resorting  to  them  for  pro¬ 
tection.  In  wandering  over  the  ruins  it  is  necessary  to  use 
great  precaution,  for  fear  of  slipping  through  the  weeds  and 
grass,  which  have  grown  up  profusely,  into  arches,  holes, 
fountains,  and  other  pitfalls. 

The  right  angle  in  which  the  city  was  built  measures  five 
hundred  and  forty  paces  from  north  to  south,  .and  three 
hundred  and  fifty  from  east  to  west.  In  the  eastern  wall 
ten  towers  are  to  be  counted,  in  the  northern  three,  and  at 
the  north-west  corner  there  is  a  kind  of  fortification.  On 
the  west  side,  along  the  sea,  there  are  three  towers.  At  the 
south-west  corner  of  the  place  the  rock  which  sustains  the 
citadel  projects  into  the  sea  ;  and  at  the  extremity  of  it  may 
be  seen  the  remains  of  a  tower,  which  Barth  thinks  to  have 
been  the  one  which  in  ancient  times  bore  the  name  of  Strato. 
Strong  breakwaters  have  been  carried  from  the  citadel  out 
into  the  sea.  Left  of  the  rocky  reef  is  the  southern  cove, 
which  serves  as  a  harbour. 

Both  of  these  havens  were  artificially  widened  to  a  breadth 
of  two  hundred  paces,  and  protected  with  walls.  The  land 
side  has  even  now  a  moat  thirty-six  feet  wide,  guarded  with 


276 


PALESTINE. 


towers  :  they  seem  to  date  from  the  time  of  the  crusaders. 
The  walls  of  the  city  itself,  according  to  von  Prokesch,  are 
from  twenty  to  thirty  feet  high,  and  six  feet  thick.  The 
towers  stand  at  unequal  distances  from  each  other,  varying 
from  fifty  to  ninety  feet.  The  city  appears  to  have  had 
three  gates,  two  of  which  are  still  standing.  That  on  the 
east  side  is  so  ruined,  that  a  man  can  ride  directly  over  it. 
A  fourth  gate,  which  probably  leads  to  the  middle  part  of  the 
northern  haven,  has  wholly  disappeared.  There  is  still  a  lofty 
tower  discernible  in  the  square  castle.  It  is  separated  from 
the  city  by  a  passage  a  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  long  and 
twenty-five  broad,  which  connects  the  two  coves.  A  great 
number  of  grey  and  red  granite  pillars,  which  were  once 
brought  from  Egypt  by  Herod,  are  now  to  be  seen  in  a 
shattered  state.  In  a  like  ruined  state  are  the  dam  on  the 
north  side  of  the  northern  harbour,  and  that  which  ran  out 
into  the  sea  south-westward.  These  were  composed  very 
largely  of  granite  pillars.  At  the  northern  base  of  the  castle, 
and  lying  in  the  water  of  the  northern  harbour,  there  is  a 
granite  pedestal,  more  than  six  feet  wide.  Before  the  gate 
of  the  castle  there  is  a  cistern  and  a  deep  shaft :  two  arch¬ 
ways  of  the  gate  have  remained.  From  the  top  of  the  tower 
an  extensive  view  is  obtained  seaward  and  landward. 

The  ruins  in  the  interior  of  the  city  are  for  the  most  part 
of  brick,  and  have  very  little  that  is  striking.  At  the  north¬ 
west  corner,  hard  by  the  wall,  stands  a  subterranean  church ; 
and  among  other  ecclesiastical  ruins,  is  one  of  very  massive 
walls,  which  perhaps  was  the  residence  of  the  archbishop,  a 
man  of  such  authority  that  twenty  bishops  were  subject  to 
him.  Near  the  southern  gate  there  are  to  be  seen  the  remains 
of  a  stadium ;  nothing  being  left  of  it,  however,  but  a  few 
granite  pillars  and  hewn  stones,  on  one  of  which  the  name 
Fibianus  Candidus  can  be  made  out.  There  are  traces  of 
walls  and  towers  around  the  southern  port,  which  was  pro¬ 
bably  a  suburb. 

Dr  Barth  holds  the  castle,  a  massive  work,  sixty  feet 
square,  to  be  a  citadel  of  the  middle  ages,  and  says  that  its 
vastness  makes  it  even  now  an  imposing  object.  He  remarks, 


CAESAREA. 


277 


also,  that  the  structures  of  the  ancient  and  the  more  modern 
times  are  so  mingled  together,  that  it  is  a  very  difficult  task 
to  discriminate  between  them.  Yet  it  is  plain  that  the  works 
executed  by  Herod  were  on  the  grandest  scale.  Barth  recog¬ 
nised  in  four  large  pillars  the  remains  of  the  metropolitan 
church  which  was  erected  on  the  site  of  the  ancient  Roman 
temple.  At  the  north-western  part  of  the  city  he  discovered 
the  remains  of  a  building,  which  must  once  have  been  of 
great  magnificence,  although  but  a  few  colossal  stones  and 
pillars  remain  to  attest  it.  He  found  the  whole  circumference 
of  the  city,  from  the  sea  round  to  the  sea  again,  to  he  3600 
paces.  He  examined  the  aqueduct  carefully,  which  once 
conveyed  water  into  the  city  from  Nahr  Zerin.  It  is  to  he 
wished  that  he  would  communicate  a  full  account  of  his  obser¬ 
vations  to  the  world.1 


DISCURSION  V. 

COAST  ROUTE  FROM  CvESAREA  TO  CARMEL,  BY  WAY  OF  DANDORA  (TANTURA, 
DOR,  DORA)  AND  ATHLIT  (CASTELLUM  PEREGRINORUM). 

1.  Road  to  Dandora  ( Tantura ),  the  ancient  Dor ,  the  Naphath 
Dor  of  Solomon ,  and  the  seat  of  a  Sidonian  fishing 
colony.  The  purple  mussel ,  and  its  fishery. 

From  the  ruins  of  Caesarea  there  still  run  northward  the 
traces  of  an  aqueduct  along  a  bight  in  the  coast ;  and 
the  traveller  accompanies  this  along  the  shore,  passing  the 
numerous  sand-dunes,  till  he  reaches  the  remains  of  a  castle 

1  I  translate  the  above  words  in  Berlin,  just  after  the  death  of  the 
illustrious  Barth,  whom  it  is  a  sincere  pleasure  to  have  known  and  loved 
as  a  friend.  Almost  his  last  conversation  was  with  me  regarding  the 
introduction  of  his  great  teacher  Ritter’s  writings  to  the  English-speak¬ 
ing  world  of  Great  Britain  and  America  ;  and  his  last  gift  to  the  library 
of  the  Geographical  Society  of  Berlin  was  a  copy  of  Ritter’s  Lectures  on 
Physical  Geography ,  published  a  year  since,  by  the  house  of  Blackwood 
and  Sons.  His  papers  are  in  the  hands  of  the  distinguished  geographer 
Kiepert ;  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  his  careful  examinations  of  the 
whole  Mediterranean  basin,  including  the  results  gained  in  Syria,  will 
be  given  in  full  to  the  world. — Ed. 


278 


PALESTINE. 


and  other  buildings,  and  comes  to  the  Nahr  es  Serka1  with 
its  ruined  Roman  bridge.  The  water  of  this  stream  is  not 
deep,  but  bad.  Here  a  ridge  of  hills  commences,  which 
reaches  away  towards  the  east,  and  in  a  few  hours  joins  the 
Carmel  ranee.  After  two  hours  from  Csesarea  the  Nahr  el 
Belka  is  reached, — a  name  which,  according  to  von  Wilden- 
bruch,2  is  not  known  in  the  interior.  On  its  lower  windings, 
and  only  twenty  minutes  distant  from  it,  is  the  place  which 
is  generally  written  Tantura  on  the  maps,  but  which  Barth3 
heard  plainly  pronounced  Dandora  by  the  natives.  Irby 
and  Mangles  visited  the  place,  and  found  ruins  there  which 
did  not  seem  to  them  to  have  much  interest ;  and  D’Arvieux, 
who  calls  it  Tartoura,  says  that  it  is  merely  a  market-town 
to  which  the  Beduin  bring  their  plunder  to  sell  it  to  the 
natives,  who  give  in  return  rice  and  linen,  and  other  articles 
from  Egypt. 

The  present  town  is  built  up  around  a  stately  structure 
erected  in  the  middle  ages.  The  ancient  city,  which  can 
hardly  fail  to  occupy  the  site  of  the  Dor  of  the  Canaanites 
and  Phoenicians,  and  whose  name  is  still  seen  in  the  modern 
form  Dor  or  Dora,  lies  with  its  not  unimportant  ruins4  some 
minutes  north  of  a  little  dirty  pond,  surrounded  by  a  swamp. 

North  of  a  small  bight  or  cove,  and  on  a  projecting  rock, 
is  a  castle  dating  from  the  middle  ages,  but  resting  upon 
foundations  which  are  ancient.  The  south  side  serves  for 
quarries,  but  on  the  north  side  may  be  seen  the  remains  of  a 
stately  structure,  whose  long  walls  betoken  its  former  great 
size.  The  true  city  once  lay  on  a  low  range  of  hills  north¬ 
ward  to  another  bight,  which  is  entirely  surrounded  by  ledges 
of  rocks,  in  the  midst  of  which  there  is  a  quay  paved  with 
mussel  shells,  which  has  given  rise  to  the  conjecture  that 
there  has  been  here  a  gradual  elevation  of  the  shore.  The 
whole  ridge  is  covered  with  ruins,  among  which  are  several 

1  Prokesch,  Reise,  p.  27. 

2  Yon  Wildenbrucli,  in  Berliner  Monatsch.  der  geog.  Ges.  i.  p.  232. 

3  Dr  Barth,  MS.  ;  D’Arvieux,  p.  11  ;  Irby  and  Mangles,  Trav.  p.  190. 

4  Barth,  ms.  ;  v.  Prokesch,  Reise ,  p.  27  ;  Wilson,  Lands ,  etc.,  ii. 
p.  249. 


DOR. 


279 


fragments  of  pillars,  including  a  very  fine  Ionic  capital,  very 
much  worn  by  time,  and  made  out  of  the  same  kind  of  stone 
which  was  used  in  the  buildings  of  the  city.  The  city 
extended  as  far  as  the  well-watered  plains  on  the  east,  in 
which  there  are  the  most  fertile  corn-fields.  This  was  the 
case,  at  any  rate,  in  the  later  Roman  time,  when  Gabinius 
restored  it  and  provided  it  with  a  harbour.  Quarries  and 
several  tombs  are  now  found  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
ruins  of  the  city. 

Dor  was  one  of  the  Canaanite  cities  which  did  not  yield 
to  Joshua,  but  whose  inhabitants  subsequently  were  so  far 
overcome  as  to  be  included  in  the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh, 
and  compelled  to  pay  tribute.  Under  Solomon  it  became 
an  official  post,  and  later  was  a  powerful  stronghold,  which 
endured  many  a  siege  under  the  Maccabees.  Polybius 
speaks  of  it  as  an  important  post^  which  witnessed  valiant 
service  during  the  wars  between  Ptolemy  and  Antiochus, 
but  was  assailed  by  the  last  in  vain.  It  seems  to  have  become 
a  more  important  place  after  being  restored  by  Gabinius 
than  it  had  been  before ;  for  Jerome  speaks  of  it  as  a  very 
powerful  city,  whose  ruins  excited  the  admiration  of  the 
pilgrim  Paula.  Other  authors  mention  Dor,  however,  as 
only  an  insignificant  place ;  yet  when  it  is  spoken  of  in  this 
light,  the  great  inland  city  is  not  meant,  but  the  smaller  one 
on  the  sea  which  belonged  to  the  Phoenicians,  of  which 
Scylax  and  Stephen  of  Byzantium  and  Hecatmus  of  Miletus 
speak,  and  concerning  whose  rise  Claudius1  Julius  has  given 
a  remarkable  sketch  in  his  work  on  Phoenicia.  This  Dor,  he 
says,  lay  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Cmsarea,  and  was  a  small 
place  inhabited  by  Phoenicians,  who,  in  consequence  of  the 
abundance  of  purple  mussels  found  there,  had  built  them 
huts  and  entrenched  their  town  for  security.  But  when  they 
had  become  very  successful  in  their  fishery,  they  enlarged 
their  quarters,  quarried  the  rock,  made  a  harbour,  and  gave 
the  place  the  name  of  Dor,  borrowing  it  from  the  Greek 
tongue.  Some  said,  however,  that  Dorus,  a  son  of  Neptune, 
was  the  builder  of  the  town. 

1  Steph.  Byz.  ed.  Meinecke,  p.  255,  s.v.  A upog. 


280 


PALESTINE. 


On  the  Peutinger  Tables  Thora  is  put  cloven  as  eight  miles 
from  Caesarea.  Jerome  gives  it  as  nine.  When  Wilson  was 
here  in  1843,  he  found  the  place  a  little  collection  of  huts. 

Whether  the  purple  mussels  are  taken  to  any  extent 
on  that  coast  now,  is  exceeding  improbable.  The  earliest 
trace  of  them  in  that  region  is  preserved  in  the  blessing 
pronounced  by  Moses  on  Zebulon  and  Issachar  (Deut.  xxxiii. 
19),  “For  they  shall  suck  of  the  abundance  of  the  seas,  and 
of  treasures  hid  in  the  sand  an  enigmatical  expression, 
signifying  nothing  else  than  that  the  gain  was  to  accrue 
from  the  purple  mussel  and  from  the  manufacture1  of  glass. 
Dora,  however,  was  a  place  belonging  to  Manasseh,  but  in 
the  territory  of  Issachar,  and  upon  the  boundary  between 
Israel  and  Phoenicia.  But  Zebulon  was  to  lie  upon  the  sea, 
as  we  learn  from  the  blessing  of  Jacob  (Gen.  xlix.  13),  and 
was  to  extend  to  Sidon,  which  almost  makes  it  certain  that 
Scylax  was  correct  in  his  statement  that  Dor  was  a  city  of 
the  Sidonians.  That  Moses,  while  in  Egypt,  was  acquainted 
with  the  costly  purple  dye  which  was  brought  from  the 
Phoenician  coast,  and  it  may  be  from  Dor  itself,  the  nearest 
port  of  that  country,  is  made  evident  by  the  allusion  to 
blue,’  purple,  and  scarlet  which  were  used  in  adorning  the 
tabernacle  which  was  set  up  in  the  wilderness.  The  purple 
mussels  now  seen  on  that  coast  agree  fully  with  those  de¬ 
scribed  in  all  ancient  accounts ;  and  that  they  are  now  dis¬ 
covered,  is  confirmed  by  the  statements  of  repeated  travellers. 
Yon  Prokesch  saw  them2  in  great  quantities,  and  Seetzen 
speaks  of  noticing  two  varieties,  the  Murex  trunculus  Linn, 
and  the  Helix  janthina,  which  yielded  the  celebrated  purple 
of  the  ancients.  Olivier  found  the  janthina  in  great  abun¬ 
dance  upon  the  Syrian  coast  from  Tyre  to  Alexandria,  and 
held  it  to  be  the  same  which  yielded3  the  most  of  the  purple, 
although  he  found  almost  all  the  buccenites  to  yield  a  red 
colour,  particularly  those  of  the  finest  species.  The  living 

1  Movers,  Die  Phonizier ,  ii.  pp.'  210,  176. 

2  Yon  Prokesch,  Reise,  p.  34 ;  Buckingham,  Trav.  in  Pal.  i.  p.  196. 

3  Seetzen,  in  Mon.  Corresp.  1808,  p.  445 ;  Olivier,  Voy.  in  Orient ,  T. 
ii.  p.  251. 


DOB. 


281 


jantliina  is  greenish  or  white,  hut  it  becomes  red  and  then 
purple  when  it  is  exposed  to  the  air,  and  after  it  dies  it  is 
violet.  The  little  creature  yields  the  most  of  their  income  to 
the  fishermen  of  Dora ;  but  an  immense  quantity  of  them  must 
be  taken,  in  order  to  extract  the  purple  which  is  contained  in 
a  little  pouch  not  as  large  as  a  pea.  Hence  arose  in  ancient 
times  the  great  costliness  of  the  purple  which  the  Phoenicians 
prepared, — an  article  which  only  Persian  kings  and  Roman 
emperors,  senators,  and  the  wealthiest  could  buy.  The 
much  cheaper  cochineal  has  in  modern  times  entirely  de¬ 
stroyed  the  demand  for  the  Tyrian  purple.  The  Helix 
janthina  of  Lamarck,1  or  Jantliina  fragilis,  thought  by  Lessow 
to  be  identical  with  the  buccinum  of  Pliny,  is  considered  by 
that  naturalist  as  identical  with  the  ancient  Phoenician  dye. 
Lamarck  disagrees  with  this,  however,  and  thinks  that  the 
Purpura  patula  was  the  real  dye.  Still  it  must  be  confessed 
that  a  variety  of  views2  prevails  regarding  buccinum  and 
murex.  The  art  of  making  purple  was  known  not  only  on 
the  Phoenician  coast,  but  also  on  that  of  North  America, 
particularly  in  the  Minor  Syrtis,  on  the  island  of  Meninx.3 

2-  Route  from  Pandora  to  Athlit,  the  Castle  of  Pilgrims , 
Castellum  Peregrinorum ,  Castello  Pelligrino,  Petra  incisa , 
and  to  the  southern  base  of  the  promontory  of  Carmel. 

From  Dandora4  northward  to  Athlit'  it  is  a  two  hours’ 
journey  along  the  coast,  according  to  von  Wildenbruch,  and 
thence  three  hours  to  the  convent  on  Carmel. 

Three-quarters  of  an  hour  from  the  ruins  of  the  ancient 
Dor,  the  traveller  reaches  the  village  of  Surfend,  the  Sura- 

1  Leunitz,  Synopsis ,  Pt.  i.  pp.  382,  390. 

2  Winkelmann,  Geschichte  der  Kunst  der  Alterthums.  iii.  p.  9  ;  Yoss, 
Comment,  zu  Virgils  Landbau,  iv.  373,  p.  855  ;  Mougez,  Mem.  de  VInstitut 
Hist,  et  B.  L.  T.  iv.  p.  259  ;  Lessow  on  Tyrian  purple,  in  Jameson,  N. 
Edin.  Phil.  Journal ,  1828,  Apr.  to  Sept.  p.  403  ;  Wilde,  Narrative  of  a 
Voyage  along  the  Shores  of  the  Mediterranean ,  ii.  p.  151,  and  Appendix. 

3  Ur  Barth,  Wanderungen  durch  das  Punische  und  Kyrenaischc  Kus- 
tenland ,  p.  261,  Note  643,  p.  378,  after  Abu  Obeid  Bekri,  in  Notic.  et 
Extr.  de  la  Bible  du  Roi ,  T.  xii.  p.  480. 

4  Yon  Wildenbruch,  quoted  above,  p.  232. 


282 


PALESTINE. 


fend  of  the  maps,  up  to  which  point  a  low  range  of  hills 
accompanies  the  road  on  the  east,  in  the  plain  adjoining 
which  a  few  palms  are  left  standing.  In  the  village,  in 
which  some  twenty  shepherd  families  live,  von  Prokesch 
spent  a  night  in  the  mosque.  On  the  heights  running  north 
there  may  be  seen  here  and  there  the  remains  of  walls,  which 
perhaps  correspond  to  the  places  mentioned  by  Strabo  as 
once  lying  between  Carmel  and  Strato’s  Tower,  but  of  which 
even  in  his  time  nothing;  but  the  names  existed  :  these  he 
cites  as  Sycominonpolis,  Bucolonpolis,  and  Crocodilopolis. 
Yet  Sycomina  is  alluded  to  by  Jerome  as  identical  with 
Ephe,  the  present  Haifa,  at  the  northern1  base  of  Carmel. 
Regarding  the  remarkable  Crocodilopolis,  which  is  mentioned 
by  Reich ard  as  hard  by  the  coast,  south  of  Caesarea,  but 
which  is  put  by  Berghaus  farther  in  the  interior,  Pococke2 
has  propounded  the  theory  that  it  was  an  Egyptian  colony, 
by  the  members  of  which  the  crocodile  was  held  in  honour. 
The  creature  is  believed  by  him  to  have  propagated  itself  in  a 
swamp,  which  takes  its  name  from  the  animal.  He  states  that 
he  has  heard  of  crocodiles  of  five  or  six  feet  in  length  being 
brought  to  Acre.  Later  travellers  make  no  allusions  to  it.3 

Twenty  minutes  before  reaching  Athlit,  von  Prokesch4 
noticed  a  gap  in  the  range  of  hills,  and  farther  on  several 
ancient  wells  by  the  roadside.  He  also  saw  magazines  for 
grain  hewn  in  the  sides  of  the  rock,  with  openings  two  to 
four  feet  in  width. 

Irby  and  Mangles5  took  up  their  quarters  for  a  night  in 
the  village  of  Athlit,  which  lies  elevated  above  the  sea  on  a 
kind  of  peninsula,  in  the  midst  of  ruins.  The  place  is  of 
small  extent,  is  similar  in  appearance  to  a  citadel,  and  is 
surrounded  by  ancient  walls,  outside  of  which  are  others 

1  Yon  Raumer,  Pal.  pp.  140,  341. 

2  Pococke,  Beschr.  ii.  pp.  75,  76. 

3  Thomson,  however  ( Land  and  Booh ,  ii.  p.  244),  makes  it  very- 
probable,  though  not  certain,  that  crocodiles  are  found  there  at  the 
present  day. — Ed. 

4  Yon  Prokesch,  Reise,  p.  25. 

5  Irby  and  Mangles,  Trav.  pp.  191-193. 


RUINS  OF  ATHLIT. 


283 


still.  The  southern  extremity  of  these  runs  down  as  far  as 
to  the  sea-coast :  there  are  two  gates  upon  the  east,  one  on 
the  south  side.  There  are  several  places  where  there  are 
flights  of  stairs  to  ascend.  One  of  the  external  walls  runs 
near  to  the  citadel,  while  the  other  appears  to  have  surrounded 
the  ancient  town  or  city;  at  present,  however,  the  enclosure  is 
a  mere  desolate  space.,  On  the  south  side  of  the  little  penin¬ 
sula  or  promontory  there  is  a  small  cove,  which  was  probably 
at  one  period  the  harbour  of  the  place. 

Within  the  citadel  there  is  a  massive  structure  in  the  form 
of  a  hexagon,  or  decagon  according  to  some,  the  half  of  which 
is  still  standing.  From  beneath  the  exterior  cornices  spring 
in  bold  relief  several  animals’  heads,  together  with  one  of  a 
man  joined  to  the  body  of  a  lion.  The  external  walls  of  this 
structure  have  double  lines  of  arches  in  Gothic  style :  the 
lower  row  is  broader  than  the  upper,  the  architecture  light 
and  elegant. 

No  ancient  name  of  this  place  is  known,  although  the 
convenience  of  the  little  harbour  close  by,  the  numerous 
quarries  and  tombs  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  the  fruitful 
plains  by  the  side,  make  the  conjecture  a  safe  one,  that  here 
wns  once  a  considerable  centre  of  population  before  the  time 
of  the  Crusades,  when  the  citadel  began  to  bear  the  name  of 
Castrum  Peregrinorum,  from  which  is  derived  the  modern 
name  of  Castello  Pelligrino. 

Dr  Barth,  who  has  examined  these  ruins  with  more  care 
than  any  one,  was  so  much  struck  with  the  traces  of  great 
antiquity  there,  and  with  the  extent  of  the  fortifications,  as 
to  believe  that  a  place  of  such  strategic  importance  in  its 
relation  to  the  highway  between  Tyre,  Carmel,  Philistia,  and 
Egypt,  could  not  have  been  unused  at  the  time  when  Canaan 
and  Phoenicia  were  in  their  period  of  pride  and  power.  But 
no  ancient  name  is  known,  unless  the  one  given  it  by  the 
Arabs — Athlit,  according  to  E.  Smith,  or  Athalit,  as  Wilken1 
gives  it — be  a  contraction  of  the  primitive  designation.2 

Oliverius,  Scholasticus  of  the  church  at  Cologne,  and 

1  Wilken,  Ges.  der  Kreuz.  Pt.  vi.  pp.  158,  311,  vii.  p.  772. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  Note  xl.  p.  528. 


284 


PALESTINE. 


apostolical  legate,  who  in  1231  incited  many  pilgrims  and 
crusaders  to  visit  the  Holy  Land,  gives  a  detailed  description 
of  the  situation  of  this  pilgrims’  castle,1  and  says  that  in 
ancient  times  it  was  called  Districtum,  a  name  perhaps  derived 
from  the  manner  in  which  the  sea  limits  the  course  of  the 
road  ( propter  viam  strictam),  and  from  the  narrow  pass  which 
perhaps  gave  the  name  Petra  incisa  to  the  place.  Raymond 
of  Toulouse  is  said  to  have  laid  the  foundation  of  a  castle 
near  Tortosa,  to  which  he  gave  the  name  Castellum  Pere- 
grinorum,2  which  might  easily  he  confounded  with  this.  This 
Petra  incisa  would  seem  to  have  been  first  built  as  a  protec¬ 
tion  for  pilgrims  on  their  way  to  Jerusalem,  and  to  have 
subsequently  fallen  into  ruin  till  about  the  time  when  the 
kingdom  of  Jerusalem  passed  away,  when  it  was  restored  in 
1218  by  the  Knights  Templar  as  the  chief  seat  of  their  order, 
and  remained  their  last  stronghold  even  after  Jerusalem 
had  fallen  into  the  possession  of  the  unbelievers.  Previously 
to  these  events  the  neighbourhood  of  Petra  was  rendered 
very  dangerous  by  the  robbers  who  infested  it,  and  in  1103 
King  Baldwin  was  mortally  wounded  by  them.  At  the  time 
when  the  excavations  were  made  for  the  walls,  Oliverius 
Scholasticus  states  that  several  gold  coins  were  found  bearing 
a  stamp  which  the  discoverers  did  not  recognise,  hut  which 
served  to  defray  in  part  the  expenses  of  the  undertaking. 
Jac.  de  Yitry,  Epis.  i.  ad  Honor,  iii.  p.  289,  says  that  the 
amount  of  wealth  discovered  there  was  incredibly  great. 
Unquestionably  these  were  Greek  or  Roman  coins,  or  possibly 
Phoenician  ones,  and  their  discovery  confirms  the  probability 
that  this  fine  strategic  position  was  early  improved.  The 
place  which  seemed  to  be  so  blessed  of  God  in  consequence 
of  this  discovery  of  gold,  received  the  name  Castrum  fdii 
Dei.  The  fortress  wTas  so  admirably  built  and  protected, 
that  the  Saracens,  in  spite  of  the  most  determined  efforts  to 
take  the  place,  protracted  for  eight  days  and  nights,  wrere 
unable  to  make  any  impression  upon  it,  and  were  compelled 
to  raise  the  siege.  The  crusaders  and  pilgrims  who  had 

1  Wilken,  Gesch.  as  above,  vi.  p.  99. 

3  Kill.  Tyrens.  Hist.  Hieros.  lib.  x.  p.  26,  fol.  791. 


RUINS  OF  ATHLIT. 


285 


sought  a  last  refuge  there  after  the  rest  of  Palestine  had 
passed  from  their  hands,  gradually  withdrew  to  their  homes; 
and  in  the  year  1291,  this  castle,  in  conjunction  with  Tortosa 
(Dor),  had  been  deserted  by  all  the  Christians,1  and  they  were 
destroyed  by  the  Sultan  Melek  el  Ashraf,  into  whose  hands 
they  had  fallen.  Ottokar  of  Horneck,  in  his  account  of 
Suders  (Sidon),  and  the  misfortunes  of  this  citadel,  calls  it 
Chast  Pilgrim,  and  says  that  u  there  once  stood  a  fine  city.” 

And,  in  truth,  the  extensive  ruins  still  seen  there  confirm 
this  expression  ;  for  within  them  D’Arvieux  saw  the  remains 
of  a  massive  and  even  elegant  church,  which  both  Barth2  and 
Wilson  have  declared  bomb-proof.  Pococke,  too,  has  alluded 
to  the  beautiful  character  of  this  architecture  even  at  the 
time  of  his  visit.  The  greater  part  of  the  walls  were  then 
used  as  quarries,  and  the  finest  material  was  applied  to  the 
building  of  Acco  ;  yet  granite  columns  were  strewed  around, 
and  Barth,  who  examined  with  great  care  the  harbour,  the 
thickness  and  length  of  the  immense  walls,  the  gates  and 
towers,  was  so  amazed  at  the  magnitude  of  this  citadel,  that 
at  the  close  of  his  manuscript  journal  he  states  that  the 
remains  of  this  Castellum  Peregrinorum  are  among  the  best 
which  exist,  for  the  light  which  they  throw  upon  the  study 
of  fortification  in  the  middle  ages,  as  well  as  in  the  Roman 
period,  from  which  the  walls  appear  to  date.  A  topographical 
survey  of  these  ruins  would  be  an  excellent  substitute  for  the 
general  description  of  them,  which  is  all  that  we  thus  far 
possess.  The  only  place  in  the  older  records  of  travel  which 
seems  to  relate  to  this  site  is  in  the  Bordeaux  pilgrim’s 
Itinerary ,  where  the  Mutatio  Certha3  finis  Syriae  et  Palestine, 
viii.  mill,  southward  from  Carmel,  seems  to  coincide  with  the 
position  of  Athlit. 

As  one  goes  northward  from  this  Castello  Pellegrini, 
amid  whose  remains  nothing  is  now  to  be  seen  excepting  a 
few  poor  miserable  huts  with  their  inhabitants,  a  line  of  ruins 
can  be  traced  for  a  distance  of  ten  minutes  beyond  the  walls, 

1  TVilken,  Gesc'h.  vii.  pp.  7GG-793 ;  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  p.  469. 

2  D’Arvicux,  as  cited,  ii.  p.  10  ;  comp.  Wilson  and  Pococke,  ii.  p.  83. 

8  Itiner.  Ilieros.  ed.  Parthey,  p.  276,  ad.  585. 


286 


PALESTINE. 


to  a  place  where  a  road  is  cut  through  the  natural  wall  of 
rock.  This  separates  the  fruitful  eastern  plain  from  the 
western  one,  which  is  much  covered  with  sand-dunes  extend¬ 
ing  northward  from  Athlit,  and  seemingly  the  work  of  many 
centuries.  That  the  peninsula  of  Athlit  was  once  an  island, 
is  expressly  stated  by  Adrichomius  (before  1585),  who  says  : 
u  Castrum  Peregrinorum  quondam  in  insula  in  corde  maris 
sita,  dicta  Petra  incisa.”1  Pococke  thinks  that  the  insular 
form  was  first  given  by  the  fosse  which  was  carried  across  the 
peninsula  for  purposes  of  fortification,2  but  that  it  was  subse¬ 
quently  filled  up  by  the  sand.3 

There  are  traces  still  discernible  of  an  ancient  road  once 
running  farther  northward  :  upon  the  high  land  the  remains 
of  a  watch-tower  can  be  seen  in  one  place  :  then  follows  a 
beautiful  although  contracted  plain  near  the  base  of  Carmel, 
separating  it  from  a  spur  of  rock  which  shuts  the  view  of  the 
sea  from  the  traveller.  The  road  then  runs  northward  to  a 
fountain  lying  about  an  hour’s  distance  from  Athlit.  The 
rocky  spur  has  some  openings  through  which  the  eye  occa¬ 
sionally  catches  glimpses  of  the  sea.  There  is  no  special 
object  of  interest  after  this  till  the  high  promontory  of  Carmel 
is  reached.4 

1  Barth,  Reise ,  ms.  ;  Wilson,  Lands ,  etc.,  ii.  p.  247  ;  Pococke,  Trav. 
ii.  p.  83. 

2  Sckoltz,  Reise,  p.  151. 

3  Von  Raumer,  Pal.  p.  138. 

4  Comp.  Buckingham,  Trav.  in  Pal.  i.  pp.  190-193  ;  Wilson,  Lands , 
etc.,  ii.  p.  248. 


SAMARIA,  THE  CENTRAL  PART  OE  PALESTINE. 


■ - 9 - - 

CHAPTER  IV. 

^^SEQUENTLY  to  the  restoration  of  the  temple 
of  Jerusalem  under  Ezra  and  Nehemiah,  after 
^ie  return  from  the  Babylonian  captivity,  the 
L_  “  name  Samaria,  derived  probably  from  the  city  so 
called,  began  to  become  the  stated  appellation  of  the  district 
which  had  been  settled  by  strangers  while  the  Jews  were  in 
Babylon,  and  which  therefore  from  that  time  forms  a  very 
marked  contrast  to  Judma.  For  this  district  not  only  took 
no  part  in  the  erection  of  the  new  temple,  but  its  rulers  made 
decided  opposition  to  it  (Neh.  ii.  19,  iii.  34,  iv.  2  ;  Ezra  iv.  10), 
and  erected  for  themselves  a  temple  of  similar  character  on 
Gerizim.  At  the  time  of  IJosea  and  Hezekiah  the  inhabitants 
of  a  large  part  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel,  through  repeated 
invasions  of  the  Assyrian  kings,  particularly  Shalmaneser’s, 
who  pillaged  Samaria  also,  were  carried  away  captive  into 
Assyria  and  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Tigris,  settling  at 
Khabur.  In  the  meantime,  the  Assyrian  colonists  who 
established  themselves  in  the  Israelite  territory,  took,  accord¬ 
ing  to  Josephus,  the  name  of  Samaritans  from  the  main 
city.  This  became  the  first  centre  of  this  new  population, 
which  at  a  later  period,  however,  removed  to  the  ancient 
Shechem,  the  present  Nablus. 

The  tribes  of  Ephraim,  half  Manasseh,  Issachar,  and 
Naphtali,  were  led  into  captivity  from  the  region  around 
Gennesareth  and  a  portion  of  Galilee,  and  their  place  was 
occupied  by  immigrants  from  Babel,  Cutha,  Hamath,  and 
other  places.  These  brought  their  idolatrous  worship  with 


288 


PALESTINE. 


them,  but  entered  into  close  relation  with  the  remnant  of 
Israel,  and  so  became  a  very  heterogeneous  population,  taking 
the  name  of  Cuthites  from  the  former  home  of  a  portion, 
or  Samaritans  from  the  home  of  another  part.  This  strange 
blending  of  populations  was  an  incredible  spectacle  to  the 
Jews  who  had  been  carried  into  captivity.  When  that 
portion  of  the  Israelite  territory  wras  ravaged  by  wild  beasts, 
the  new  settlers  looked  upon  this  as  a  punishment  by  the 
Divinity  of  the  country,  whom  they  had  not  known  how  to 
propitiate.  They  begged,  therefore,  of  the  Assyrian  king  a 
priest,  and  had  their  request  granted.  The  monarch  ordered, 
as  we  learn  from  2  Kings  xvii.  27-41?  that  a  Jewish  priest 
should  be  sent  to  them  to  teach  them  the  manner  in  which 
they  might  propitiate  the  Divinity  of  the  country.  This  func¬ 
tionary  came,  and  lived  for  some  time  in  Bethel,  imparting  the 
doctrines  which  prevailed  about  God  among  the  Hebrews. 
Yet  we  learn  from  the  book  of  Kings  that  this  was  all  in 
vain  ;  each  community  of  the  Samaritans  made  its  own  God, 
and  set  it  up  in  the  houses  or  on  the  high  places :  for  while 
they  had  a  certain  fear  of  Jehovah,  they  served  their  own 
idols  as  their  fathers  had  done.  Thus  it  remained  down  to 
the  latest  time.  Separated  completely  from  the  Jews  as  they 
were,  the  Hebrew  and  the  Assyrian  elements  of  the  Samaritan 
nation  began  to  blend,  and  to  become  homogeneous.  They 
were  heathen  indeed,  with  the  intermixture  of  a  Jewish 
element ;  for  although  we  do  not  hear  of  any  subsequent 
immigration  of  Jews,  yet  we  find  the  Samaritans  asking  for 
Jewish  priests.  This  shows  conclusively1  that  they  were  a 
mixed  race,  and  that  they  cannot  be  considered  a  true  heathen 
people,  although  regarding  this  the  opinions  of  commentators 
were  for  a  long  time  at  variance.  The  Samaritan  woman 
at  the  well  (John  iv.  12)  confesses  to  a  common  lineage 
with  the  Jews  when  she  asks,  u  Art  Thou  greater  than  our 
father  Abraham,  who  gave  us  the  well?”  by  which  words 
ITengstenberg’s  view  that  the  Samaritans  were  only  heathen 
is  completely  overthrown.  Josephus  gives  the  name  Mannasses 

1  A.  Knobel,  zur  Ges.  der  Samaritaner,  in  Giessener  DenJcschriften , 

i.  p.  130. 


THE  SAMARITANS. 


289 


to  the  Jewish  priest  who  was  located  in  Samaria,  and  who 
afterwards  married  the  daughter  of  the  Assyrian  governor, 
for  which  act  his  brother  Jaddus,  the  high  priest  at  J erusalem, 
deprived  him  of  his  office.  It  was  through  the  Jewish  in¬ 
fluence,  which  in  religious  things  always  was  paramount,  and 
which  may  have  been  constantly  strengthened  by  the  addition 
of  Jewish  refugees,  that  the  capital  was  removed  to  the 
hallowed  site  of  Shechem,  although  the  people  carried  the 
name  Samaritan  with  them,  and  always  retained  it. 

When  Zerubbabel  and  Joshua  were  beginning  to  rebuild 
the  temple  of  Jehovah  on  Moriah,  at  Jerusalem,  their  oppo¬ 
nents  came  from  Samaria  (Ezra  iv.  10),  and  said  to  them 
(2-4),  “  Let  us  build  with  you,  for  we  seek  your  God  as  ye 
do.”  But  Zerubbabel  and  the  chief  Jews  answered  them, 
“  Ye  have  nothing  to  do  with  us  to  build  a  house  unto  our 
God ;  but  we  ourselves  together  will  build  unto  the  Lord 
God  of  Israel,  as  king  Cyrus  the  king  of  Persia  hath  com¬ 
manded  us.  Then  the  people  of  the  land  [Samaria]  weakened 
the  hands  of  the  people  of  Judah,  and  troubled  them  in 
building.”  Upon  this  the  Samaritans  accused  the  Jews  of 
rebellious  designs  against  the  Persian  government.  Under 
the  foreign  yoke  of  the  Persians,  the  Seleucidoe,  and  the 
Romans,  the  division  between  the  two  peoples  must  have 
been  continually  growing  greater,  inasmuch  as  political  was 
joined  with  religious  hatred.1  The  subsequent  civil  arrange¬ 
ment  of  the  districts  of  Palestine — Southern,  Middle,  and 
Northern — must  have  contributed  its  share  to  perpetuate  this 
national  hatred.  “  To  the  Samaritans  and  the  Philistines,  as 
well  as  to  the  stupid  Shechemite  populace,  I  am  a  hearty 
enemy,”  says  Jesus  Siracli  (1.  28).  The  Samaritans  were 
put  under  the  ban  by  the  Jews,  and  Jesus  himself  calls  the 
Samaritan  in  this  sense  a  stranger  (dWoyeV???),  Luke  xvii.  18. 
At  another  time  His  disciples  wondered  that  He  talked  with  a 
Samaritan  ;  and  the  woman  at  the  well  was  equally  surprised 
at  Ilis  asking  a  draught  of  water  from  her,  for,  said  she, 
“the  Jews  have  no  dealings  with  the  Samaritans.” 

Josephus  says  of  them,  that  for  political  reasons  the  Sama- 
1  Reland,  Pal.  p.  180  ;  von  Eaumer,  Pal.  pp.  127-131 . 

VOL.  IV.  T 


290 


PALESTINE. 


ritans  gave  themselves  out  as  Jews  when  it  favoured  their 
interests  ;  as,  for  example,  at  the  time  of  Alexander  the 
Great,  who  showed  great  kindness  and  consideration  to  the 
Jews.  On  the  other  hand,  they  concealed  their  connection 
with  the  Hebrew  race  when  it  seemed  expedient  to  do  so ;  and 
in  a  letter  which  they  sent  to  Antiochus  Epiplianes,  whom 
they  addressed  as  God,  they  called  themselves  Sidonians,  and 
besought  that  they  might  he  permitted  to  give  the  name  of 
Jupiter  Hellenius  to  their  temple  on  Gerizim.  At  a  subse¬ 
quent  period  we  find  the  Samaritans  contending  before  the 
Egyptian  king  Ptolemy  Philometor,  that  it  was  not  the 
temple  in  Jerusalem,  but  that  on  Gerizim,  which  had  been 
built  in  accordance  with  the  law  of  Moses.  They  claimed 
the  latter  to  be  the  true  temple,  because,  according  to 
their  assertion,  it  was  there  that  the  twelve  memorial  stones 
which  had  been  taken  out  of  the  Jordan  had  been  set  up ; 
and  the  words  of  the  Samaritan  woman  (John  iv.  20)  hint  at 
the  same.  Peland  remarks  that  it  was  the  people  alone  who 
were  held  by  the  Jews  as  unclean,  but  not  their  land,  their 
water,  nor  their  mountains ;  and  on  this  account  the  Galilseans 
could  take  their  course  to  Jerusalem  through  the  heart  of 
Samaria  without  polluting  themselves.  He  states,  however, 
that  there  were  certain  places  where  Samaritans  were  for¬ 
bidden  to  live ;  for  example,  the  country  around  Tiberias, 
Nazareth,  Diocsesarea,  and  Capernaum.  In  other  places, 
however,  they  were  permitted  to  locate  themselves,  and  in 
some  they  acquired  great  influence.  Silvestre  de  Sacy1 
derives  the  name  of  the  people  not  from  the  city  of  Samaria, 
because  this  is  denied  by  the  fathers,  but  from  Shomer,  pi. 
Shomerim,  i.e.  “to  guard.”  He  terms  them  therefore  the 
watchmen,  as  did  St  Epiphanius  also,  and  ascribes  to  them 
the  function  of  being  the  true  guardians  of  the  laws  of  Moses. 
He  finds  the  same  etymology  in  Eusebius  and  Jerome:  “Hex 
Chaldmorum  ad  custodiendam  regionem  Judseam  accolas  misit 
Assyrios,  qui  emulatores  legis  Judsei  facti,  Samaritse  nun- 
cupati  sunt,  quod  latina  lingua  exprimitur  custodes.”  This 

1  In  Notic.  et  Extr.  de  la  Bible  du  Roi ,  T.  xii.  4-6  ;  Correspond .  des 
Samaritains  de  Naplouse ;  Wilson,  Lands ,  etc.,  ii.  p.  46,  Note. 


THE  SAMARITANS. 


291 


etymology  was  first  accepted  from  the  Samaritans  them¬ 
selves  :  the  J ews  have  not  used  the  word  down  to  the  pre¬ 
sent  time,  but  have  called  this  people  Cutheim  and  Cuthsei, 
because  the  great  proportion  of  the  Assyrian  colonists  appear 
to  have  come  from  the  province  of  Cutha.  It  is  only  through 
the  use  of  the  Greek  language  in  the  New  Testament,  and 
through  the  diffusion  of  Josephus’  writings,  that  the  name 
Samaritans  became  common.  If  the  word  had  been  really 
derived  from  Shomeron,  Wilson  thinks  that  they  would  have 
been  called  not  Shomerim,  but  Shomeronim.  He  accordingly 
adopts  the  conclusion,  that  it  is  far  more  probable  that  the 
name  Samaritan  is  derived  from  the  city  Samaria,  and  the 
district  which  they  inhabited  for  so  long  a  time. 

Regarding  the  province  of  Samaria,  which  is  generally 
omitted  by  the  Jews  when  they  speak  of  the  districts  of 
Palestine,  but  which  is  included  in  Josephus’  list  of  the 
toparchies  Samaria,  Galilee,  and  Peraaa,  I  have  spoken  in  a 
previous  part  of  this  work.  I  have  there  not  only  given  a 
general  sketch  of  the  district  and  its  boundaries,  but  I  have 
also  alluded  in  various  places  to  points  on  the  boundary 
between  it  and  Benjamin  or  Judaea.  The  limits  on  the  north 
are  the  Carmel  range  and  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  on  the 
east  the  desert  of  the  Ghor,  on  the  west  the  Mediterranean 
coast.  Yet,  definite  as  this  seems  to  be,  and  contracted  as 
are  the  limits  of  the  province  thus  enclosed,  it  is  impossible 
to  trace  the  boundary  line  with  absolute  precision.1  We 
cannot  tell,  for  example,  whether  Antipatris,  Athlit,  Dor, 
Bethshean,  Hepha,  and  Jezreel,  are  or  are  not  to  be  reckoned 
among  the  cities  of  Samaria. 

The  present  southern  boundary  between  the  province  of 
Jerusalem  in  the  south,  and  the  province  of  Nablus  in  the 
north,  begins  with  Wadi  Belat,  and  the  villages  lying  partly 
on  its  northern  and  partly  on  its  southern  side ;  and  it  was 
exactly  in  this  region  that  the  ancient  Via  Romana  deviated 
from  the  great  northern  road  running  northward  to  Damascus, 
and  ran  north-westward  towards  Antipatris  and  the  sea.  The 
present  southern  boundary  appears  to  coincide  with  the  ancient 
1  Reland ;  v.  Raumer,  Pal.  pp.  128,  150. 


292 


PALESTINE. 


one,  which  separated  it  from  Dan  and  Benjamin,  and  passed 
not  far  from  Bethel  (Beitin),  Gophna  (Jifna),  Ophra  (Taiyi- 
beh),  Ain  Si’ a,  Bir  es  Zeit,  and  through  Sinjil.  The  territory 
of  Ephraim  was  not  very  different  from  that  which  was  sub¬ 
sequently  called  Samaria,  but  parts  of  Manasseh  and  Issachar 
belong  to  it  also.  Ginsea,  the  present  Genin,  at  the  entrance 
of  the  plain  of  Jezreel,  was  the  frontier  city  of  Samaria  on 
the  north. 

If  now  we  follow  the  few  travellers  through  this  region 
who  are  able  to  throw  light  upon  it — the  only  way  of  becoming 
acquainted  with  it,  since  the  accounts  of  antiquity  and  of  the 
middle  ages  are  very  meagre  concerning  it — we  shall  dis¬ 
cover  that  only  a  very  limited  region  has  been  explored,  and 
that  outside  of  that  the  whole  district  is  terra  incognita.  I 
have  already  referred  to  the  researches  into  the  region  to¬ 
wards  the  Jordan,  effected  by  Robinson,  Barth,  Berggren, 
and  Schultz,  and  relating  to  Rimmon,  Taiyibeh,  Sinjil, 
Seilun  (Shiloh),  Turmus  Aja,  and  Karijut,  and  the  ancient 
Acribitene.  I  have  also  alluded  to  the  researches  made  west 
of  the  main  road  by  Dr  Eli  Smith  and  others  in  search  of 
Antipatris.  It  only  remains  for  me  to  speak  of  the  great 
highway  running  northward  from  Jerusalem  to  Nablus  and 
Samaria,  for  no  other  one  has  ever  been  taken  by  the  count¬ 
less  tourists  who  have  traversed  the  country  between  these 
two  cities.  All  who  have  added  to  our  knowledge  of  the 
country  have  done  so  by  either  turning  aside  here  and  there 
from  the  main  route,  or  by  crossing  the  country  in  an  exactly 
opposite  direction. 

The  heights  of  the  main  geographical  features  of  Samaria 
are  as  follows,  to  which  I  add  that  of  two  or  three  others  for 
purposes  of  comparison  : — 

Jerusalem,  2349  Paris  feet,  von  Wildenbruch;  2472,  von 
Schubert. 

Ain  Yebrud,  north  of  Bethel,  2208,  von  Wildenbruch. 

Sinjil,  near  Turmus  Aja,  2520,  von  Schubert. 

Nablus,  1568,  von  Wildenbruch;  1751,  von  Schubert. 
Samaria,  926,  von  Schubert. 


THE  NABLUS  LOAD. 


293 


Gerizim,1  2398,  Schubert. 

Genin,  514,  Schubert. 

Esdraelon,  438,  Schubert. 

Convent  on  Carmel,  582,  Schubert. 

Peak  of  Mount  St  James,  1500,  Schubert. 

* 

DISCURSION  I. 

THE  NABLUS  ROAD  FROM  BEITIN  (BETHEL)  BY  WAY  OF  JEFNA  (GOPHNA), 
SINJIL,  SEILUN  (SHILOH),  THROUGH  THE  PLAIN  OF  MUKHNA  TO  NABLUS 
(NEAPOLIS,  SHECHEM). 

We  have  already  examined  the  route  running  northward 
from  Jerusalem  to  Bireh  and  Beitin  (Beeroth  and  Bethel), 
and  which  forms  the  commencement  of  the  main  highway  to 
Nablus.  It  was  in  Bethel,  the  so-called  house  of  God,  that 
Abraham  pitched  his  tent,  and  that  Jacob  erected  an  altar. 
It  was  thither  that  the  road  ran  up  from  Gilgal,  over  which 
the  great  prophet  passed  every  year  to  render  judgment  at 
Bethel.  Only  an  hour  and  a  half  west2  of  Bireh,  Dr  Eli 
Smith  discovered  the  station  Jefna,  lying  four  hours  north 
from  Jerusalem,  and  directly  in  the  route  which  he  took  in 
his  search  for  the  ancient  Antipatris.  Robinson  had,  how¬ 
ever,  passed  over  the  same  route  at  a  still  earlier  date. 

It  was  in  this  divergent  road  westward,  which  offered, 
according  to  Maundrell,3  a  great  contrast  to  the  bare  and 
repulsive  Judaean  hills  farther  south,  that  traces  of  a  Via 
liomana  were  discovered,  which  continued  to  be  observed  by 
Dr  Smith  at  frequent  intervals  all  the  way  to  Caesarea.  At 
Jefna  a  good  piece  of  this  was  in  a  fine  state  of  preservation. 
This  village  was  conjectured  by  Robinson  to  be  the  ancient 
Gophna,  mentioned  by  Josephus  and  Ptolemy.  The  name 
does  not  occur  in  the  Scriptures;  but  Josephus  asserts  that 
Titus,  while  on  his  march  from  Caesarea  to  J erusalem,  passed 
through  Gophna.  The  fertility  of  the  valley  accounts  for  the 
fact  that  it  was  confounded  in  the  Onomasticon  of  Jerome 

1  D.  Steinheil,  Resultate,  aus  v.  Schubert's  Reise ,  in  Gel.  Auz.  d. 
bayersch.  Alcad.  1840,  No.  47,  pp.  382,  383. 

'l  Bobinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  261.  3  Maundrell,  Journey ,  64. 


294 


PALESTINE. 


with  the  Yale  of  Eshcol, — an  error,  however,  into  which 
Eusebius  does  not  fall. 

The  village  of  Jefna  contains,  in  addition  to  a  spring  of 
living  water,  some  ruins  of  not  insignificant  appearance, 
among  which  the  most  striking  are  those  of  the  Church  of  St 
George,  and  a  fortress.  Robinson  thought  that  there  was  some 
ground  for  considering  the  place  as  occupying  the  site  of  the 
scriptural  Ophni  mentioned  in  J osh.  xviii.  24,  it  being  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Bethel,  Ophra,  and  other  well-known  cities. 

The  next  place  visited  by  Robinson  lay  north-east  of 
Jefna,  and  bore  the  name  Ain  Sinai.1  Here  commences  a 
well-watered  valley  which  extends  north-westward  and  then 
westward  to  the  Mediterranean,  and  bore  the  name  Wadi 
Belat.  On  the  western  side  of  this  lies  Atara,  perhaps  the 
ancient  Atharoth  on  the  borders  of  Ephraim.  Robinson  did 
not  visit  it,  however,  for  he  lost  his  way ;  and  after  passing 
through  the  village  of  Jiljilia,  he  came  back  into  the  main 
Nablus  road.  Others — as,  for  instance,  Wolcott  in  1842, 
and  Wilson  in  1843,  who  kept  on  the  main  road — passed 
Ain  Yebrud,2  Jibea,  Ain  el  Haramiyeh,  and  reached  Sinjil. 
Ain  Yebrud  has  a  very  fine  position,  surrounded  on  all  sides 
by  fruitful  valleys  and  hills,  those  on  the  west  affording  an 
unobstructed  view. 

Going  north-north-east  from  Yebrud,  a  half-hour  brings 
one  to  an  eminence  from  which  the  ruins  of  a  fort  can  be 
seen,  bearing  the  name  el-Burj  Azzil.  Farther  down  in  the 
valley,  on  whose  eastern  side  ruins  are  soon  passed,  ten 
minutes  bring  one  through  the  deep  Wadi  el  Jib,  lying  along 
the  northern  base  of  the  ridge.  On  the  west  side  of  this 
wadi  Wilson  discovered  a  place  bearing  the  name  of  Jibea, 
from  which  the  wadi  probably  derives  its  own  designation. 
Robinson’s  map  gives  the  place  according  to  the  date  assigned 
it  by  Maundrell;  he  himself  did  not  visit  the  place.  He  thinks, 
however,3  that  it  is  the  Geba  of  Eusebius  and  Jerome,  which 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  264. 

2  Wolcott,  Excursion  in  Bib.  Sacra,  1843,  vol.  i.  No.  1,  p.  71  ; 
Wilson,  Lands ,  etc.,  ii.  pp.  40,  290. 

3  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  265,  Note. 


SHI  LOTI. 


295 


lay  five  Roman  miles  north  of  Gophna,  on  the  road  to  Nablus. 
Yet  Robinson  thinks  that  they  wrongly  confuse  it  with  the 
Gebim  of  Isa.  x.  31.  With  this  Wilson  concurs,  although 
he  does  not  hold  it  to  be  the  Gibeah  of  Phinehas  on  the  moun¬ 
tains  of  Ephraim  (Josh.  xxiv.  33),  where  his  father,  Eleazar 
the  son  of  Aaron,  died  and  was  buried,  mention  being  made 
of  a  mountain  there.  Yet  Jibea  lies  very  high  certainly, 
and  it  is  worthy  of  the  attention  of  future  travellers ;  for 
here  was  probably1  that  sacred  city  of  Benjamin,  in  which 
the  high  priest  was  buried.  The  tradition  of  the  Jews 
and  Samaritans  transfers  that  spot  to  the  neighbourhood  of 
Shecliem,  for  which  there  is  no  historical  basis.  From  Wadi 
el  Jib,  Wolcott  went  northward  over  the  mountains,  and 
reached  a  great  water  basin  called  Ain  Haramiyeli,  lying  in  a 
narrow  and  beautiful  valley.  The  bevelled  stones  seen  there 
seemed  to  indicate  the  existence  of  a  castle  at  that  spot.  A 
half-hour  from  that  point  the  deep  valley  coming  from  the  east 
is  left,  a  village  known  as  et-Tell  is  passed,  and  the  watershed 
is  reached,  from  which  the  road  runs  through  Wadi  Sinjil, 
east  of  the  village  of  that  name,  to  Seilun  with  its  lovely 
valleys  close  by,  the  former  resting-place  of  the  tabernacle. 
This  was  the  Shiloh  of  the  Scriptures,  which,  as  Josephus 
(Antiq.  v.  1,  19)  says,  was  chosen  as  the  seat  of  the  Jewish 
worship,  on  account  of  its  convenience  and  its  attractive  cha¬ 
racter.  Robinson  and  Wilson  have  examined  the  character 
of  this  place,  and  its  topography,  and  demonstrated  its  identity 
with  the  ancient  Shiloh,  as  described  in  Judg.  xxi.  19,  as  “  a 
place  which  is  on  the  north  side  of  Bethel,  on  the  east  side  of 
the  highway  that  goeth  up  from  Bethel  to  Shecliem,  and  on 
the  south  side  of  Lebonah.”  Jerome,  however,  was  unable 
in  his  day  to  discover  any  remains  of  the  ancient  city:  “  Silo 
tabernaculum  et  area  Domini  fuit,  vix  altaris  fundamenta 
monstrantur.” 

Robinson  passed  by  way  of  Jiljilia  and  Sinjil  to  Seilun. 

The  large  village  of  Jiljilia  lies  on  the  western  edge  of 
the  mountainous  tract,  and  from  it  there  is  an  extensive  view 
westward  over  the  low  coast  plain,  and  also  eastward  as  far 
1  Keil,  Comment,  zu  Josua ,  p.  410. 


29C 


PALESTINE . 


as  the  mountains  of  Gilead  on  the  farther  side  of  Jordan. 
Here  was  the  place,  too,  where  Robinson  first  saw  the  lofty 
height  of  Herrnon.  Close  by  the  village  on  the  north  side 
begins  a  broad  valley  extending  east  and  west,  which  unites 
with  the  Wadi  el  Belat.  Farther  north  Wadi  Lubban  can 
be  descried,  which  comes  down  from  the  main  road  to  Nablus, 
and  also  enters  Wadi  Belat.  All  these  wadis  come  together 
not  far  from  Ras  el  Ain,  and  form  the  bed  of  the  Nahr 
Aujeh.  Jiljilia,  which  probably  is  the  modern  name  of  a 
certain  Hebrew  Gilgal,  of  which,  however,  no  memorials 
remain,  cannot  be  the  eminent  Gilgal  of  the  Bible,  which 
was  on  the  Jordan.  It  is  thought  by  Keil,1  however,  to  be 
mentioned  in  Deut.  xi.  30,  as  lying  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Gerizitn  and  Ebal,  where  Joshua  had  pitched  his  camp 
when  the  Gibeonites  came  out  to  meet  him.  The  site  of 
the  modern  village  answers  well  to  these  conditions.  The 
present  inhabitants  appear  to  be  a  very  timid  folk,  probably 
because  they  live  off  from  the  main  highway,  and  seldom 
see  travellers,  or  it  may  be  because  they  held  the  strangers 
to  be  emissaries  of  Ibrahim  Pacha. 

The  direct  road  from  Jiljilia  to  Nablus  is  said  to  run 
through  deep  valleys,  and  to  be  a  very  difficult  one.  In 
order,  therefore,  to  turn  back  to  the  main  highway,  the  road 
to  Sinjil2  was  taken,  and  the  village  reached  in  about  an 
hour,  lying  on  the  high  border  of  a  wadi,  perhaps  two  hun¬ 
dred  feet  above  the  level  at  the  bottom.  This  high  locality 
extends  eastward  to  the  broad  plateau,  on  one  of  whose  ele¬ 
vations  lies  the  village  of  Turmus  Aya.  The  main  road  runs 
by  Sinjil,  ten  minutes  distant  from  the  village,  and  passes  by 
the  Khan  el  Lubban  on  its  way  to  Nablus. 

The  distances  on  this  route  are  the  following  :  from  el- 
Bireh  to  Beitin  (Bethel),  forty-five  minutes ;  to  Ain  Yebrud, 
one  hour  forty-five  minutes  ;  to  Ain  el  Haramiyeh,  one  hour 
thirty  minutes ;  to  the  valley  below  Sinjil,  one  hour ;  to 
Khan  el  Lubban,  one  hour  ten  minutes ; — altogether,  six 
hours  and  ten  minutes. 

1  Keil,  Comment,  zu  Josna ,  pp.  148,  ICO. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  2C5. 


SIIILOII. 


297 


Sinjil,  where  Robinson  spent  a  night,  has  a  population 
of  two  hundred  and  six  taxable  men,  and  eight  hundred  souls. 
A  hundred  of  the  men  were  compelled  to  bear  arms. 

On  the  fourteenth  of  June  he  left  the  place  in  order  to 
examine  the  neighbouring  village  of  Seilun.1  He  heard 
much  about  this  place,  but  nothing  which  indicated  that  the 
country  people  suspected  its  historical  interest.  The  result 
of  his  inquiries  confirmed  his  conjectures,  and  led  him  to  a 
discovery  which  must  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  impor¬ 
tant  which  he  ever  made.  Even  von  Schubert,2  who  passed 
through  Sinjil  only  a  year  before,  and  ascertained  the  baro¬ 
metrical  altitude  of  the  place  to  be  2520  Paris  feet  above  the 
sea,  passed  by  Seilun  without  suspecting  its  historical  interest. 
In  the  neighbourhood  of  Sinjil  he  saw  excellent  fig  planta¬ 
tions;  on  the  limestone  sides  of  the  mountains  he  saw  roses  in 
bloom,  which  he  recognised  as  belonging  to  the  variety  known 
as  the  Rosa  sempervivens.  During  the  nights  in  the  middle 
of  April  there  was  a  heavy  dew.  A  half-hour  from  Sinjil, 
after  passing  through  the  valley,  and  then  ascending  the  high 
land  at  the  north,  Robinson  came  to  the  fine  plain,  on  a  slight 
eminence  on  which  lies  Turmus  Ay  a,  with  its  surrounding 
margin  of  millet  and  wheat  fields.  A  half-hour  in  the  same 
direction  are  the  ruins  of  Seilun,  which,  though  encircled 
with  hills,  look  down  on  the  plain  at  the  south.  Five  minutes 
from  the  place3  are  the  relics  of  an  ancient  tower  or  a 
church,  with  four  thick  walls ;  the  ruin  is  twenty-eight  feet 
square,  and  within  are  three  overturned  pillars  with  broken 
Corinthian  capitals.  Above  the  entrance  is  an  amphora 
carved  between  two  garlands,  and  at  the  side  is  a  wall  thrown 
up  evidently  for  defence.  The  chief  ruins  of  the  place  lie 
on  a  knoll,  which  is  separated  by  a  deep  wadi  from  a  higher 
mountain  at  the  north,  and  is  well  guarded  against  attack. 
Between  the  ruins  of  modem  houses  lie  great  stones  and 
fragments  of  pillars.  Under  a  stately  oak  at  the  southern 
extremity  stands  a  little  mosque.  At  the  distance  of  a 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  266  ;  Bartlett,  Walks,  etc.,  pp.  247-249. 

2  Yon  Schubert,  Reise,  iii.  p.  129. 

3  The  Christian  in  Palestine,  p.  123,  Tab.  xxx.  xxxi. 


298 


PALESTINE. 


quarter  of  an  hour  a  fine  spring  issues  from  the  ground, 
which  forms  a  well  eight  or  ten  feet  deep,  where  many  of 
the  neighbouring  shepherds  water  their  flocks.  In  the  narrow 
valley  where  the  spring  is  found,  Robinson  noticed  several 
opened  tombs. 

It  was  to  this  place  under  its  ancient  name  of  Shiloh  that 
Joshua  went  up  from  Gilgal ;  and  here  it  was  that  the  taber¬ 
nacle  was  erected,  and  the  division  of  the  country  made  to 
the  several  tribes.  Here  Samuel  spent  his  boyhood  in  the 
service  of  the  Lord,  and  here  it  was  that  he  was  called  to  be 
a  prophet  of  the  Lord,  recognised  as  such  from  Dan  to  Beer- 
sheba  (1  Sam.  iii.  20,  21)  :  it  was  at  this  place,  too,  that  many 
of  his  greatest  deeds  were  done.  It  was  in  Shiloh  that  a  feast 
was  made  to  the  Lord  every  year,  at  which  the  daughters  of 
Shiloh  danced ;  and  it  was  at  one  of  these  feasts  that  the 
Benjamites  made  an  invasion  upon  them,  as  the  Romans  did 
upon  the  Sabines,  and  carried  them  away  to  make  them  their 
wives;  for,  as  we  read  in  Judg.  xxi.  24, Cl  at  that  time  there 
was  no  king  in  Israel,  and  every  man  did  that  which  was 
right  in  his  own  eyes.”  After  the  Philistines  had  carried  the 
ark  of  the  covenant  away  from  Shiloh  into  their  own  country, 
the  place  was  deserted  of  the  Lord,  laid  under  a  curse  (Jer. 
vii.  12,  14),  and  never  named  after  the  exile.  Jerome  can 
scarcely  have  known  where  its  site  was,  and  at  the  time  of 
the  Crusades  it  was  utterly  unknown  :  according  to  the  state¬ 
ments  of  the  monks,  it  was  at  Neby  Samwil.  A  certain 
Bonifacius  a  Raguso,  a  guardian  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  is 
the  only  one  in  the  sixteenth  century  who  appears  to  have 
been  aware1  of  the  real  location  of  Shiloh. 

Wilson  also  visited  these  ruins2  of  Seilun,  which  he  reached 
in  a  walk  of  forty-five  minutes  from  Khan  Lebbau.  He 
found  them  more  extensive  than  he  had  expected,  and  adds 
some  particulars  to  Robinson’s  account.  They  lie,  he  says,  on 
rising  ground,  surrounded  by  yet  more  elevated  land,  however. 
Among  the  shattered  pillars  and  the  ruins  of  comparatively 
modern  buildings,  he  discovered  an  old  arched  structure, 

1  Quaresmius,  Elucidatio  Terree  Sanctee ,  ii.  lib.  vii.  fol.  798. 

2  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  pp.  292-297. 


KHAN  EL  LUBE  AN. 


299 


whi eh  his  guides  called  Mazarah,  with  two  columns  in  the 
middle,  and  a  space  like  that  within  a  mosque  :  before  the  en¬ 
trance  there  is  a  great  scindian  oak.  Two  bow-shots  away 
from  these  ruins  are  still  others,  among  them  a  pyramidal¬ 
shaped  structure,  which  was  called  Jama  es  Sittim,  the  Mosque 
of  the  Sixty.  The  peculiar  shape  was  owing  to  the  pillars : 
the  enclosed  square  was  about  twenty  yards  by  fourteen.  The 
whole  seemed  to  Wilson  to  be  very  ancient.  Over  the  entrance 
he  noticed  a  carved  jug,  which  reminded  him  of  the  manna 
jug  on  the  ancient  Jewish  coins,  such  as  those  of  Simeon 
the  Just,  for  example :  around  the  jug  there  were  garlands 
and  branches,  in  the  style  of  those  on  Helena’s  grave.  He  also 
saw  some  inscriptions,  which  were  so  much  effaced  as  to  be 
illegible.  Several  pillars  and  Corinthian  capitals  were  lying 
around.  Wilson  prepared  a  small  sketch  of  the  neighbour¬ 
hood  of  Shiloh, — a  name  which  Josephus1  gives  with  many 
different  spellings,  but  which  cannot  fail  to  designate  the 
place  which  was  so  sacred  among  the  ancient  Hebrews. 

From  Seilun  the  road  winds  down  through  a  deep  valley, 
in  which  lie  the  ruins  of  Khan  el  Lubban :  near  this  is  a  fine 
spring,  and  north-west  of  it,  on  a  high  slope,  is  the  village  of 
Lubban.  The  wadi  continues  westward  through  a  narrow 
seam  in  the  mountains.  Bobinson  found  several  graves  lying 
north  of  the  village  just  named.  This  place  seemed  to  him 
to  correspond  to  the  ancient  Lebonah  referred  to  in  Judg. 
xxi.  19  as  lying  between  Bethel  and  Shechem.  Olshausen 
doubts  this,  however,  while  he  admits  the  identity  of  the 
two  names.  Maundrell,2  as  early  as  1697,  conjectured  that 
Leban,  as  he  wrote  the  word,  occupies  the  site  of  the  ancient 
Lebonah. 

From  the  fine  basin  of  Lubban,  which  affords  a  view 
westward  through  a  gap  in  the  mountains,  Bobinson3  went 
south-eastward  through  a  narrow  gorge,  which  widens  towards 
the  north  into  an  open  plain,  on  which  stand  the  village  of 

1  Winer,  Bibl.  Iiealw.  ii.  p.  459,  art.  Silo. 

2  Maundrell,  Journey ,  p.  62. 

3  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  272 ;  Wolcott,  Fxcur.  in  Bib.  Sacra , 
1813,  p.  73. 


300 


PALESTINE. 


Sawich,  and  the  khan  of  the  same  name.  These  lie  upon 
the  watershed,  on  the  north  of  which  begins  another  wadi, 
whose  name  Robinson  could  not  ascertain,  but  which  Wolcott 
found  to  bear  the  name  Wadi  Yetma.  It  runs  parallel  to 
Wadi  Lubban,  and  enters  the  Nahr  Aujeh.  At  the  right, 
between  olive  and  fig  trees,  there  are  two  villages,  Kubelan 
and  Yitma,  whose  names  may  be  found  upon  Robinson’s 
map.  Going  northward  from  that  point,  Robinson  discovered 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Yitma  the  ground  walls  of  a  tower, 
whence  the  mountains  of  Samaria  could  be  descried,  and  the 
extensive  plain  of  Muldina,  on  whose  northern  border  lies  the 
city  of  Nablus,  occupying  the  site  of  the  ancient  Shechem.1 

The  many-peaked  mountains  of  Nablus  are  seen  from 
this  place  in  all  their  beauty ;  and  Gerizim,  or  Grisim,  as  it 
is  now  called,  adorned  with  the  wely  on  its  highest  point, 
crowns  the  view  on  the  north.  On  the  north-east  is  the 
entrance  into  the  valley  of  Nablus.  North  of  this  entrance, 
and  on  the  farther  side  of  Gerizim  and  the  valley,  are  the 
steep  sides  of  Ebal.  The  long  plain  of  Mukhna  extends 
along  the  eastern  base  of  the  mountain  range,  its  waving 
lines  beino-  discernible  as  far  as  to  Nablus :  on  its  eastern  side 

O 

it  is  bordered  by  gentle  but  attractive  hills. 

The  steep  descent  from  the  ruins  to  the  plain,  which  here 
forms  a  sharp  angle,  passes  by  a  cistern ;  and  the  plain  leads 
on  the  west  to  a  narrow  wadi,  probably  the  Wadi  esh  Shaar 
of  Wolcott.  This,  like  the  Wadi  Lubban  already  men¬ 
tioned,  runs  westward,  and  enters  the  Nahr  Aujeh.  It  passes 
between  the  villages  of  Kuza  and  Ain  Abus,  which  lie  upon 
its  two  sides.  The  slopes  surrounding  the  southern  extremity 
of  the  Mukhna  plain  are  beautified  with  cistus  roses ;  the 
drier  heights  are  overgrown  with  poterium  spincsum ;  while 
the  depressions  and  vales,  from  half  an  hour  to  three-quarters 
of  an  hour  broad,  are  transformed  into  the  finest  fields  of 
wheat  and  millet. 

Robinson’s  route  led  through  the  valley,  winding  around 
the  foot  of  the  mountain,  passing  the  height  on  which  the 
village  of  Hawara  lies,  where  the  eastern  declivity  is  steeper, 
1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  273 ;  Schubert,  Reise,  iii.  p.  136. 


THE  PLAIN  EL  MTJKHNA. 


301 


and  the  plain  broader.  Farther  on  he  passed  the  village  of 
Kefr  Kulin,  which  lies  on  the  border  of  Mount  Gerizim. 
The  dwellers  in  the  villages  there  appeared  to  be  very  much 
intimidated  by  the  terrors  of  the  Egyptian  sovereign.  The 
path  winds  along  the  base  of  Gerizim,  and  then  leaves  the 
broader  plain,  and  enters  the  narrow  valley  running  westward 
between  it  and  the  more  northern  mountain  of  Ebal,  passing 
the  ruins  of  the  village  of  Belat.  In  the  midst  of  this  narrow 
valley  stands  a  small  white  building  in  the  form  of  a  wely, 
called  Joseph’s  tomb;  and  nearer  the  foot  of  Gerizim  the 
people  point  out  the  ancient  well  of  Jacob.  Opposite,  on 
the  hills  lying  towards  the  north-east,  there  are  three  villages, 
— Azmut,  Deir  el  Hatab,  and  Salim.  From  Jacob’s  well  the 
path  runs  on  through  the  narrow  valley  to  another  more 
copious  well  with  reservoirs  adjacent  to  it,  but  without  trees  :  it 
continues  then  through  an  olive  grove  to  the  city  of  Nablus. 
On  the  north  side  of  the  town  an  uncommonly  fertile  valley 
extends  westward,  forming  a  noble  field  of  vegetables,  well 
watered,  and  forming  a  magic  picture,  with  which  there  is 
nothing  in  Palestine  to  compare  (Bartlett  calls  it  the  un¬ 
paralleled  valley  of  Nablus).  Under  an  immense  mulberry 
tree,  and  by  the  side  of  a  murmuring  brook,  Bobinson  pitched 
his  tent.  The  Jew,  Mordecai  of  Bombay,  who  accompanied 
Wilson  on  his  journey  through  Palestine,  and  who  could  not 
reconcile  the  boasted  excellence  of  the  country  of  his  fore¬ 
fathers  with  the  country  as  it  now  is,  he  having  been  reared 
in  the  tropical  Indies,  confessed  that  here  was  the  true  “land 
of  promise,”  which  “  flowed  with  milk  and  honey.” 1 

Wilson,  who  pursued  the  same  route  along  the  west  side 
of  the  plain  el-Makhneh,2  names  not  only  the  village  of 
Hawara,  but  also  other  villages,  such  as  Baulin  and  Kafr 
Kallin,  from  which  point  he  diverged  on  a  side  path  in  order 
to  have  a  better  view  of  Gerizim.  When  he  at  length  entered 
the  narrow  Valley  of  Nablus,  the  steep  face  of  Ebal  which 
encountered  him,  which  is  usually  so  sterile,  seemed  to  him  to 
be  overgrown  with  the  Indian  fig  tree. 

1  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  p.  45  ;  Bartlett,  Walks ,  p.  250. 

2  Wilson,  Lands,  etc.,  ii.  pp.  43,  45. 


302 


PALESTINE. 


DISCURSION  II. 

THE  CITY  OF  NABULUS  OR  NABLUS,  THE  ANCIENT  NEAPOLIS,  THE  ROMAN 
FLA  VIA  NEAPOLIS  —  SHECHEM  AT  THE  TIME  OF  JACOB  —  MABORTHA, 
THE  PASS — GERIZIM  AND  EBAL,  THE  MOUNTAINS  OF  BLESSING  AND  OF 
CURSING — THE  CUTHITES,  OR  SAMARITANS — THE  WELL  OF  JACOB  AND 
THE  GRAVE  OF  JOSEPH. 

The  city  of  Nablus,1  or,  according  to  Abulfeda’s  ortho¬ 
graphy,  more  strictly  Nabulus,  the  Neapolis  of  the  Romans, 
lies  along  the  north-eastern  base  of  Mount  Gerizim  a 
half-hour  west  of  the  great  plain  of  Mukhna,  and  in  a  valley 
between  Gerizim  and  Ebal,  and  extending  westward  for  a 
considerable  distance.  The  houses  of  the  place  are  high  and 
well  built,  the  material  being  stone :  there  are  cupolas  upon 
the  roofs,  as  at  Jerusalem.  The  valley  between  the  moun¬ 
tains  runs  south-east  and  north-west,  and  has  a  width  of  about 
1600  feet.  It  forms  a  true  saddle,  the  city  of  Nablus  lying 
on  the  watershed.  From  it  the  springs  on  the  east  side  run 
to  the  Jordan,  while  those  on  the  west  side  send  their  dis¬ 
charges  to  the  Mediterranean. 

Before  the  time  of  Robinson  this  peculiarity  had  been 
unnoticed,  and  the  reason  undetected  why  Nablus  should  be 
the  medium  of  commerce  between  the  Jordan  valley  and  the 
Mediterranean.  The  extensive  bazaars  of  the  city  show  even 
now  the  magnitude  of  the  trade  between  Damascus  and  the 
places  on  the  coast.  North  and  south  of  the  town  rise  the 
sides  of  Ebal  and  Gerizim,  mostly  sterile  and  bare,  their 
vegetation  being  mainly  confined  to  a  few  olive  trees.  They 
ascend  to  a  height  eight  hundred  feet  above  the  city,  which 
itself  lies  fifteen  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 
The  wall  of  Ebal,  on  the  north  side  of  the  city,  is  full  of 
ancient  burial-places  ;  on  the  south  side  of  the  town,  along 
the  base  of  Gerizim,  there  are  springs  and  trees. 

Wolcott2  investigated  the  three  wells  which  supply  the 
city  with  water.  The  Nahr  Kuriyum  he  found  to  flow  as  a 

1  Kobinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  275 ;  v.  Schubert,  Reise,  iii.  p.  142. 

2  Wolcott,  Excursion ,  in  Bib.  Sacra,  1843,  p.  73. 


GERIZIM  AND  EBAL. 


303 


strong  stream  through  the  upper  part  of  the  town,  it  first 
coming  to  the  light  under  a  dome-shaped  structure,  where 
there  is  a  flight  of  steps  leading  down  to  the  spring.  Eas  el 
Ain,  the  second  source,  issues  from  a  gorge  a  hundred  rods 
south  of  the  western  extremity  of  the  city,  and  sends  a  supply 
of  water  through  an  aqueduct  to  the  town.  Directly  below 
this,  and  within  the  city,  is  the  third  spring,  Ain  el  Asal. 
Buckingham  1  speaks  of  a  fourth,  but  Wolcott  could  find  no 
trace  of  it. 

The  name  given  by  the  people  to  the  mountain  of  Ebal, 
on  the  north  side  of  the  city,  was  not  ascertained  by  Kobinson. 
Wolcott,  however,  calls  it  Sitti  Salamiyeh, — a  designation 
which  he  does  not  claim  to  have  had  from  unquestionable 
authority.  Gerizim  is  still  called,  as  it  wTas  in  former  times, 
et-Tur :  even  in  the  life  of  Sultan  Saladin  it  is  designated  as 
Tourum,  and  only  the  Samaritans  retain  the  old  scriptural 
name  as  given  in  Deut.  xi.  29.  When  Joshua,  after  the 
destruction  of  Ai,  was  following  up  his  victory,  we  are  told 
in  the  book  bearing  his  name  (viii.  30),  that  he  built  an  altar 
upon  Ebal,  as  the  Lord  had  commanded  him,  using  whole 
stones,  which  had  never  been  touched  with  iron,  i.e.  which 
were  up  to  that  time  inviolate.  There  he  offered  burnt-offer¬ 
ings  and  thank-offerings ;  and  after  covering  the  altar  with 
plaster,  he  inscribed  upon  it  all  the  words  of  the  law,  in 
accordance  with  the  commandment  recorded  in  Deut.  xxvii.  2. 
In  Josh.  viii.  33,  34,  we  read :  “  And  all  Israel,  and  their 
elders,  and  officers,  and  their  judges,  stood  on  this  side  the 
ark,  and  on  that  side,  before  the  priests  the  Levites,  which 
bare  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord,  as  well  the  strangey, 
as  he  that  was  born  among  them  ;  half  of  them  over  against 
Mount  Gerizim,  and  half  of  them  over  against  Mount  Ebal ; 
as  Moses,  the .  servant  of  the  Lord,  had  commanded  before, 
that  they  should  bless  the  people  of  Israel.  And  afterwards 
he  read  all  the  words  of  the  law,  the  blessings  and  cursings, 
according  to  all  that  is  written  in  the  book  of  the  law.” 
This  solemn  transaction  was  the  fulfilling  of  the  command  of 
God,  and  the  public  commemoration  of  the  promise  that  those 
1  Buckingham,  Trciv.  in  Pal.  ii.  pp.  421—474. 


804 


PALESTINE. 


who  kept  the  law  should  be  blessed,  and  that  those  who  dis¬ 
obeyed  it  should  be  cursed  (Deut.  xi.  26-28).  The  order  of 
the  ceremony  had  all  been  prescribed 1  in  advance.  The  com¬ 
mand  had  been  given  that  the  ark  should  stand  still  in  the 
valley  of  Shechem,  and  that  six  of  the  tribes  should  take  their 
places  on  Gerizim,  and  pronounce  the  blessings  which  should 
follow  obedience ;  and  six  upon  Ebal,  and  pronounce  the 
curses  which  should  follow  disobedience ;  or  rather,  should 
listen  to  the  blessings  and  curses,  and  seal  them  with  an 
audible  Amen.  There  have  been  various  reasons  assigned 
and  inquiries  made  why  the  curses  should  have  been  pro¬ 
nounced  from  Ebal,  the  mount  on  which  the  altar  was  built, 
and  not  from  Gerizim.  But  there  is  a  very  natural  and 
simple  explanation  of  the  fact,  notwithstanding  wdiat  Schubert 
says,  that  Gerizim  is  better  adapted  for  an  altar  than  Ebal. 
The  Levites  who  guarded  the  ark  of  the  covenant  were 
always  compelled  to  stand  with  their  faces  turned  towards 
the  rising  of  the  sun  ;  and  in  this  case,  as  we  are  expressly 
told  by  Josephus  ( Antiq .  iv.  8,  44),  they  took  their  usual 
position.  At  their  right  hand,  which  was  always  the  place 
of  honour,  was  Gerizim — the  natural  location,  therefore,  for 
the  blessing  to  be  pronounced  ;  while  at  their  left,  which  was 
always  the  subordinate  place,  was  Ebal.  Moreover,  there  was 
nothing  unnatural  or  contradictory  in  the  fact  that  an  altar 
was  erected  on  Ebal.  The  curse  had  nothing  to  do  with  the 
mountain  on  which  it  wras  pronounced,  but  only  with  the 
transgressors  of  the  law’ ;  and  the  altar  was  an  impressive 
memorial  of  the  fact  that  Israel  had  nothing  to  fear  from 
the  curse,  so  long  as  it  should  live  in  covenant  relations  with 
Jehovah.2 

The  Samaritan  copies  of  the  Pentateuch  deviate  from  the 
Jewish  text  in  this,  that  they  do  not  locate  this  altar  upon 
Ebal,  but  upon  Gerizim,  the  mountain  esteemed  hallowed. 
Their  priests  have  charged  the  Jewish  scholars  with  corrupting 
the  original  in  this  respect ;  an  accusation  which  w7as  supposed 
by  Kennicott  and  other  earlier  writers  to  be  wrell  founded, 

1  Iveil,  Comment,  zu  Josua ,  p.  153. 

2  Ibid.  pp.  153-155. 


GER1ZIM  AND  EBAL. 


305 


but  which  has  been  disproved  by  the  more  modern  critics.1 
Maundrell,2  as  recently  as  1697,  was  the  first  traveller  to 
set  the  public  right  respecting  the  character  and  appearance 
of  these  two  mountains.  He  cites  the  opinions  of  the 
Samaritan  priests  of  that  period — from  whom,  however,  he 
extorted  the  confession,  that  not  a  trace  of  an  altar  could  be 
found  on  Gerizim — to  support  his  opinion  that  the  original 
one  was  built  on  the  side  of  that  mountain.  The  opposite  side 
of  Ebal,  Maundrell  found  to  be  not  less  favoured  by  nature 
for  the  erection  of  an  altar  than  was  that  of  Gerizim  :  the 
wall  of  Ebal  seemed,  perhaps,  a  little  more  barren  than  that 
of  Gerizim  opposite,  in  consequence  of  the  direct  rays  of  the 
sun  falling  upon  it.  Ebal  was  not  ascended  by  any  European 
till  the  visit  of  Bartlett,3  whose  adventure  was  not  unattended 
by  danger  of  being  robbed  by  the  wild  inhabitants  of  the  dis¬ 
trict.  His  visit  was  so  hasty,  therefore,  that  the  scientific 
gain  from  it  was  very  slight.  He  ascended  the  mountain 
from  the  western  base,  passed  by  a  small  wely,  reached  the 
summit,  and  rode  over  a  rough  tract  a  mile  across,  without 
encountering  a  single  human  face.  There  wrere  traces,  indeed, 
of  former  habitations,  but  none  of  any  importance.  The  view 
was  satisfactory  enough,  however,  to  recompense  him  for  his 
toil,  the  trans-Jordan  district  being  visible ;  Gerizim,  with  its 
ruins,  at  the  south  ;  the  fair  vale  of  Nablus  between,  extend¬ 
ing  itself,  by  a  slight  slope,  to  the  Mediterranean  ;  and  the 
sea  itself  beyond  all.  On  his  return  he  was  met  by  some 
reapers,  who  threatened  to  attack  him,  but  from  whom  he 
happily  escaped  without  suffering  violence. 

Through  a  gorge  south-west  of  the  city  Robinson  passed 
on  his  way  up  Mount  Gerizim,  an  eminence  which  is  steeper 
and  more  difficult  to  ascend  than  Ebal,  but  not  inaccessible. 
The  summit  was  reached  at  the  end  of  twenty  minutes,  and 
was  seen  to  be  no  peak,  but  a  tract  of  table-land,  extending 
west  and  south-west.  A  walk  of  twenty  minutes  more  brought 
him  to  a  wely,  standing  on  a  small  elevation  on  the  eastern 

1  Keil,  Comment,  zu  Josua,  p.  150,  Note  7. 

2  Maundrell,  Journ.  Mar.  24,  p.  59.  Comp.  Robinson  on  the  same. 

2  Bartlett,  Walks,  etc.,  p.  251. 

YOL.  IV. 


V 


306 


PALESTINE. 


edge  of  the  mountain,  and  serving  the  Samaritans  as  a  kind 
of  temple,  to  which  they  go  up  four  times  in  the  year  in  order 
to  hold  divine  worship.  This  seems  to  occupy  the  highest 
point  of  all,  and  from  it  an  extensive  prospect  is  gained. 
From  it  not  only  can  many  villages  be  discerned,1  but  the 
summit  of  Hermon  is  also  visible.  Wolcott  did2  a  great 
service  to  chartographical  science  in  taking  numerous  angles 
from  this  point. 

Robinson  was  shown3  the  place  where  the  Samaritans 
sacrifice  on  Afseh,  i.e.  the  feast  of  the  passover,  seven  lambs 
as  an  offering  for  sin,  believing  that  bloody  offerings  are 
more  acceptable  to  God  than  the  fruits  of  the  earth,  because 
“in  blood  there  is  life.”  The  other  occasions  when  the 
Samaritans  ascend  the  mountain  are  on  Whitsuntide,  the 
feast  of  tabernacles,  and  the  great  day  of  atonement.  The 
sacrifice  is  made  upon  a  pile  of  rough  stones,  near  which  is 
a  pit  in  which  the  offering  is  roasted :  this  must  be  eaten 
with  bread  and  bitter  herbs,  according  to  their  law.  The 
Turks,  in  the  wanton  exercise  of  authority,  often  forbid  the 
Samaritans  making  these  religious  excursions.4  Wilson,  who 
ascended  by  the  same  path  with  Robinson,  speaks  of  passing 
a  place  called  the  Church  of  Adam,  where  the  legend  says 
that  his  first  daughter  Mokada  was  born. 

Beyond  the  place  where  the  sacrifices  are  offered,5  lie  the 
ruins  of  an  immense  structure  of  hewn  stones,  as  if  once  a 
massive  and  strong  fortification.  It  consists  of  two  portions 
lying  quite  apart,  each  extending  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
from  east  to  west,  and  two  hundred  feet  from  north  to  south. 
The  stones  are  bevelled,  and  are  taken  from  quarries  in  the 
neighbourhood  :  the  walls  are  nine  feet  thick.  In  the  northern 
portion  there  is  a  Mohammedan  wely  and  a  place  of  burial. 

1  The  Christian  in  Palestine ,  p.  95,  Plate  23,  and  p.  121. 

2  "Wolcott,  as  already  cited,  pp.  73,  74. 

3  Wilson,  Lands ,  etc.,  ii.  p.  66. 

i  Stanley  gives,  in  Hist,  of  the  Jew.  Ch.  i.  119,  a  vivid  picture  of  tlie 
celebration  of  the  passover  on  Gerizim,  with  the  literal  usages  which 
must  have  marked  it  in  the  most  ancient  times  — Ed. 

5  Kobinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  277. 


GEPJZIM. 


807 


The  Samaritans  merely  call  this  place  “the  Castle,”  and 
connect  no  sacred  associations  with  it :  Robinson  regarded  it 
as  a  structure  put  up  by  the  Emperor  Justinian.  Wilson 
heard  it  called  es-Luz  and  Bethel.  Beneath  the  walls  of  the 
castle,  the  guides  of  the  last-named  traveller  asserted  that  the 
twelve  stones  lie  which  were  brought  by  the  Israelites  from 
the  J ordan.  The  Samaritans  believe  that  they  will  lie  there 
till  the  Messiah,  alluded  to  in  John  iv.  25,  shall  come. 
Benjamin  of  Tudela1  asserts  that  upon  these  stones  the 
Samaritan  temple  at  Gerizim  was  built.  South  of  the  pile 
of  ruins,  Wilson’s  guide  drew  off  his  shoes,  pleading  that  it 
was  holy  ground,  and  that  he  was  forbidden  to  tread  it  except 
with  bare  feet.  A  few  steps  farther  west  lies  a  naked  patch, 
which  is  said  to  have  been  the  place  where  the  tabernacle 
stood.  The  guide  had  never  heard  anything  about  the  exist¬ 
ence  of  a  temple.  Yet  in  the  neighbourhood  there  were 
traces  of  ruins,  which  seemed  as  if  they  might  have  once 
formed  part  of  a  temple.  The  dimensions  appear  to  have 
been  about  sixty  feet  from  north  to  south,  and  forty-five 
from  east  to  west.  After  the  destruction  of  the  first  temple 
erected  on  Gerizim,  however,  which  stood  about  three  hun¬ 
dred  years,  and  was  razed  by  John  Hyrcanus,  it  seems  not 
to  have  been  rebuilt,  although  Mount  Gerizim  was  for  a 
long  time  placed  on  the  Roman  coins  of  Neapolis,2  probably 
from  the  fact  that  worship  was  still  continued  at  an  altar  on 
the  mountain.  According  to  Photius  Damascius,3  a  temple 
in  honour  of  Jupiter  was  erected  on  Gerizim.  This  place 
served  the  same  purpose  to  the  Samaritan  that  the  kaaba 
does  to  the  Arab  :  it  was  the  object  to  which  he  turned  while 
offering  his  prayer.  Near  by  the  place  is  pointed  out  where, 
at  the  command  of  Jehovah,  Abraham  intended  to  sacrifice 
Isaac  :  the  mountain  hence  bore  the  name  of  Moriah,  and  the 
burial  of  the  dead  was  prohibited  upon  it,  and  could  take 
place  only  at  its  base. 

Wilson,  to  whom  the  same  place  was  shown,  considered  it 

1  Benjamin  von  Tudela,  ed.  Aslier,  i.  p.  66. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  292. 

3  Yon  Raumer,  p.  145,  Note  131. 


308 


PALESTINE. 


the  site  of  a  temple,  but  saw  no  traces  of  masonry — nothing 
but  an  excavation  in  the  rock  sloping  gently  westward  towards 
a  small  tank.  In  the  neighbourhood  there  is  a  spring,  near 
which  the  Samaritans  believed  that  their  expected  Saviour 
would  make  his  appearance. 

South  of  the  spot  here  alluded  to,  Robinson  discovered 
extensive  ruins,  which  seemed  to  indicate  the  former  existence 
there  of  a  city  :  there  are  also  the  traces  of  numerous  cisterns, 
all  of  them  destitute  of  water. 

The  view  from  Gerizim  is  very  extensive,  and  is  of  an 
entirely  different  character  from  that  presented  in  the  neigh¬ 
bourhood  of  J erusalem :  all  here  is  fresher  and  greener. 
From  Sinjil  northward  the  hills  are  less  high  and  steep,  the 
valleys  are  attractive  and  fertile,  and  assume  the  form  of 
plains  and  basins.  Of  these,  Mukhna  is  the  largest.  Yet, 
notwithstanding  the  extent  of  the  view,  it  is  by  no  means  so 
interesting,  historically  speaking,  as  that  from  the  Mount  of 
Olives.  Ilermon  is  not  discernible,  it  being  shut  out  from 
sight  by  the  intermediate  Ebal.  North-east  of  the  Mukhna 
plain  Salim  can  be  seen,  which  used  formerly  to  be  identified1 
with  Shechem.  This  latter  place  is  the  very  ancient  city 
which,  as  early  as  the  time  of  Joshua  (Josh.  xx.  7),  was  con¬ 
sidered  sacred,  like  Kedesh  and  Hebron.  It  was  considered 
the  middle  point  of  the  whole  country. 

The  locality2  known  as  Shechem,  and  the  city  bearing 
that  name,  are  mentioned  as  early  as  the  time  of  the  patri¬ 
archs  (Gen.  xii.  6,  xxxiii.  18,  xxxv.  1).  Abraham  went 
thither  while  the  Canaanites  were  still  in  possession  of  the 
land,  and  pitched  his  tent  there,  and  then  went  on  to  Bethel 
and  Hebron.  From  the  place  last  named  the  sons  of  Jacob 
went  to  pasture  their  father’s  cattle  at  Shechem  ;  and  in  that 
neighbourhood  they  caught  their  brother  Joseph,  and  sold 
him  into  the  hand  of  the  Midianites  (Gen.  xxxvii.  12, 14,  28). 

Through  the  erection  of  Abraham’s  altar  at  Shechem  the 

1  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  p.  72  ;  v.  Raumer,  Pal.  p.  145,  Note. 
Comp.  Gross,  Anmerkung,  in  Zeitsch.  der  d.  Morgen.  Ges.  iii.  p.  55. 

2  Reland,  Pal.  pp.  1004-1010 ;  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  280. 
Comp.  v.  Raumer,  Pal.  p.  144. 


TEMPLE  ON  GERIZIM. 


309 


place  was  consecrated  to  tlie  worship  of  Jehovah ;  and  in  con¬ 
sequence,  after  the  entrance  of  the  children  of  Israel  into  the 
country,  the  bones  of  Joseph  were  deposited  at  Shechem,  in 
the  parcel  of  land  which  Jacob  purchased  of  the  children  of 
Hamor,  the  father  of  Shechem,  for  a  hundred  pieces  of 
silver  (Josh.  xxiv.  32). 

As  a  city  of  the  Levites,  at  a  time  when  there  could  be  no 
mention  of  Jerusalem,  it  became  the  central  point  of  union 
to  all  the  tribes  :  during  the  epoch  of  the  judges  it  was  con¬ 
quered  by  Abimelech,  burned,  and  utterly  destroyed  (Judg. 
ix.).  Rebuilt  at  a  subsequent  period,  it  was  the  place  where 
Rehoboam  consulted  with  the  leaders  of  the  people,  and 
where  he  uttered  his  threat,  to  be  afterwards  so  bitterly  paid 
for,  that  whereas  his  father  chastised  them  with  whips,  he 
would  chastise  them  with  scorpions  (1  Kings  xii.  14,  15). 
During  the  exile  Shechem  is  mentioned  (Jer.  xli.  5)  ;  and  after 
the  exile,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  Samaria  had  been  the 
previous  capital1  of  the  country  (Neh.  iii.  34  ;  Ezra  iv.  10), 
at  the  building  of  the  new  temple  on  Gerizim,  Shechem, 
which  was  hard  by,  was  made  by  Manasseh,  probably  before 
the  time  of  Alexander  the  Great,  the  chief  centre  of  the 
Samaritan  worship  ;  after  which  time  its  inhabitants  were 
an  especial  object  of  Jewish  scorn.  According  to  Josephus, 
John  Ilyrcanus  destroyed  this  temple  on  Gerizim  129  years 
before  Christ,  and  after  it  had  stood  about  200  years.  With 
this  event  the  prophecy  recorded  in  Amos  vi.  1  was  ful¬ 
filled  :  “Woe  to  them  that  are  at  ease  in  Zion,  and  trust 
in  the  mountain  of  Samaria,  which  are  named  chief  of  the 
nations,  to  whom  the  house  of  Israel  came.”  The  woman  of 
Samaria  makes  no  allusion  in  her  conversation  with  Jesus  to 
a  temple  on  Gerizim,  but  simply  says,  “  Our  fathers  wor¬ 
shipped  in  this  mountain,  and  ye  say  that  in  Jerusalem  is  the 
place  where  men  ought  to  worship.”  After  the  lifetime  of 
the  Saviour,2  the  site  of  Shechem  became  the  place  where  the 
disciples  laboured  and  formed  churches  (John  iv.  39  ;  Acts 

1  A.  Knobel,  zur  Ges.  der  Samaritaner ,  in  Giessener  Denksch.  1817, 
i.  p.  1G8. 

2  Winer,  Bib.  Realw.  ii.  p.  451. 


310 


PALESTINE. 


viii.  5-25,  ix.  31),  the  town  taking  the  name  of  Neapolis  in 
the  writings  of  Josephus,  Pliny,  and  Ptolemy,  and  being 
called  on  the  Roman  coins  Flavia  Neapolis.  It  would  appear 
that  the  name  is  derived  from  Flavius  V e.spasianus,  who 
restored  the  place  on  the  site  of  the  ancient  Shechem. 

Josephus  says  that  Neapolis  was  called  Mabortha  by  the 
natives;  and  Pliny,  too,  who  died  in  the  year  A.D.  79,  uses 
this  expression  (Hist.  N.  v.  13),  “Neapolis,  quod  antea 
Mamortha  dicebatur.”  Many  explanations  have  been  given 
of  this  term  ;  but  they  are  all  so  unsatisfactory,  that  Robinson 
was  able  to  come  to  no  satisfactory  conclusion  regarding 
them.  The  only  one  which  seems  to  me  to  rest  upon  a  satis¬ 
factory  basis  is  the  one  which  makes  the  word  Mabortha  a 
true  Aramgean  form,  signifying  “  Pass,”  it  being  so  strictly 
in  harmony  with  the  depression  which  is  found  between 
Gerizim  and  Ebal.  The  form  Sychar,1  used  instead  of 
Shechem,  and  which  became  current  in  the  first  centuries, 
is  shown  by  Jerome  to  be  an  incorrect  form.  The  name 
Agazaren,  which  is  met  in  the  Bordeaux  Itinerary ,  is  pro¬ 
bably  an  abbreviation  of  Gerizim. 

It  took  forty  minutes  for  Robinson  to  descend  from  the 
summit  of  the  mountain  to  the  Samaritan  synagogue  in  the 
south-western  part  of  the  city,  and  on  a  slight  spur  extending 
from  the  base  of  Gerizim.  It  is  a  well-built  structure  of 
large  size,  and  comfortably  fitted  up. 

The  city  proper  has  only  two  long  streets,  reminding 
Richter2  of  his  pleasant  Heidelberg  home ;  and  all  the  more 
from  the  fact  that  the  city,  which  is  surrounded  by  green 
gardens,  ascends,  terrace-like,  the  side  of  Gerizim  for  a  little 
way.  The  main  street3  runs  from  east  to  west,  and  is  fur¬ 
nished  with  many  shops  and  storehouses  :  the  bazaar  is  an 
extensive  one,  while  the  workshops  of  the  artisans  are  in 
the  most  retired  parts  of  the  city.  At  the  time  when  von 
Schubert  passed  through  Nablus,  a  part  of  the  town  lay  in 

1  Robinson.  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  291,  Note  1 ;  and  Winer,  Bib.  Realw. 
ii.  p.  455,  Note  1. 

2  0.  v.  Richter,  Reise,  p.  56. 

8  Yon  Schubert,  Reise ,  iii.  p.  142. 


NABL  US. 


311 


ruins,  tlie  effect  of  the  earthquake  which  had  been  recently 
experienced.  The  beautiful  and  well-watered  gardens  of  the 
city,  fantastically  ornamented  by  the  white  minarets  which 
peer  above  them,  produced  excellent  oranges,  lemons,  pome¬ 
granates,  apricots,  which  all  flourish  particularly  well  on  the 
shaded  side  of  Gerizim,  while  on  the  more  exposed  face  of 
Ebal  nothing  grows  but  olive  trees.  The  gardens  are  orna¬ 
mented  with  little  Turkish  arbours,  which  are  often  shaded 
by  fragrant  orange  trees,  and  surrounded  with  honeysuckle 
and  clover. 

Iiobinson  estimated  the  number  of  Mohammedans1  in 
Nablus  at  the  time  of  his  visit — 1838 — at  8000  souls.  Be¬ 
sides  these,  there  were  about  a  hundred  and  twenty  Greek 
Christians,  who  were  subject  to  taxes,  implying  a  population 
of  at  least  five  hundred  souls,2  reckoning  women  and  children. 
The  Samaritans  proper  number  only  about  thirty  men  who 
are  liable  to  pay  taxes,  and  the  whole  Samaritan  population 
would  hardly  surpass  a  hundred  and  fifty  souls.  There  are,  in 
fact,  about  as  many  Jews  in  Nablus  as  there  are  Samaritans. 
The  province  had  its  own  governor.  There  seemed  to  be 
only  one  rich  man  among  the  Samaritans  ;  all  the  others 
appeared  to  be  in  merely  moderate  circumstances.  They  had 
not  the  Jewish  physiognomy  ;  they  were  strict  observers  of 
the  Sabbath;  they  recognised  the  well  near  by  as  Jacob’s 
well,  but  designated  it  usually  as  the  well  of  the  Samaritan 
woman  ;  they  also  asserted  that  the  Mohammedan  wely  in 
the  neighbourhood  was  the  grave  of  Joseph. 

Wilson,  who  was  here  in  1843,  visited3  the  little  Jewish 
synagogue,  and  found  the  number  of  that  communion  very 
small,  numbering  but  twenty  families  and  sixty  souls.  The 
rabbi  asserted  that  many  of  the  Jews  at  Jerusalem  would 
find  their  way  thither  and  make  it  their  home,  if  the  rabbi 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  286. 

2  Consul  Rosen  states  the  population  of  Shechem  in  1860  to  be  about 
5000;  of  whom  500  are  Greek  Christians,  150  are  Samaritans,  and  a  few 
are  Jews.  See  his  article  in  Zeitsch.  der  Deutsch.  Morgenland.  Gesel. 
for  I860.— Ed. 

3  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  p.  62. 


I 


312 


PALESTINE. 


at  Jerusalem  would  allow  it.  Only  two  of  the  Jews  -at 
Nablus  were  shopkeepers,  one  was  a  goldsmith,  and  all  the 
others  were  poor  people.  The  rabbi  spoke  very  depreciat¬ 
ingly  of  the  Samaritans,  and  asked  why  Wilson  as  a  traveller 
put  up  with  them,  and  not  with  his  people.  Wilson  answered 
that  Jews  are  to  be  found  everywhere,  but  Samaritans  only 
at  Nablus.  He  then  invited  the  Jew  to  come  the  next  day, 
and  call  upon  him  in  the  Samaritan  quarter.  On  the 
morrow  the  rabbi  came,  as  he  was  invited  ;  but  when  the 
Samaritan  priest  espied  him,  he  asked,  “  Who  has  asked  this 
creature  to  come  to  my  house?”  showing  that  there  is  no 
abatement  in  the  old  hatred.1  Yet  it  ought  to  be  remarked 
that,  on  the  occasion  of  Wilson’s  second  visit,  the  same 
Samaritan  priest  was  very  courteous  to  some  Jews,  who  came 
in  their  need  to  the  Englishman  to  get  some  pecuniary 
assistance.  On  the  occasion  of  this  visit,  Wilson  and  his 
companion  Mr  Graham,  a  missionary  at  Damascus,  obtained 
permission — hitherto  refused  to  all  Europeans — to  visit  an 
ancient  church  which  had  been  transformed  into  a  mosque. 
The  only  notable  features  within  were  a  few  columns  of  red 
granite,  and  a  window  profusely  ornamented.2 

Robinson  met  the  priest  of  the  Samaritans  at  the  syna¬ 
gogue,  and  found  him  a  man  of  about  sixty  years,  clothed  in 
a  tunic  of  red  silk,  and  wearing  a  turban.  His  companions 
had  red  turbans.  Their  ordinary  language  was  Arabic. 
Their  reception  of  him  was  very  polite  :  they  answered  all 
questions,  and  were  particularly  desirous  to  hear  about 
America.  Their  prayer-books  and  commentaries  were  written 
in  Hebrew.  They  possessed  the  first  volume  of  the  London 
Polyglott,  and  confessed  the  accuracy  of  the  Pentateuch 
there  :  they  complained  much  of  the  changes  made  in  the 
original  by  the  Jews,  and  claimed  that  their  own  copy  was 
much  purer. 

They  drew  off  their  shoes  on  entering  the  synagogue. 

1  Mr  (now  Dr)  Graham  tells  me  that  on  a  recent  visit  at  Nablus, 
made  in  Jan.  1865,  he  visited  both  the  Jewish  and  Samaritan  priests, 
and  that  the  signs  of  hatred  were  more  manifest  than  ever. — Ed. 

2  Wilson,  Lands ,  efc.,  ii.  p.  297. 


NABLUS. 


313 


The  building  is  small,  and  is  simply  arched  over.  It  has  an 
alcove,  behind  whose  curtain1  lay  their  religious  writings,  on 
which  they  laid  great  worth.  One  of  these  manuscripts,  a  roll 
of  parchment  done  up  in  silk  with  great  care,  is  said  to  date 
back  to  the  time  of  Abisua,  the  son  of  Phineas,  the  son  of 
Eleazar,  and  to  have  an  antiquity  of  3460  years :  all  the 
others  are  of  much  more  recent  origin.  The  priest  alone 
attended  to  the  copying  of  them.  Wilson,  who  wished  to 
purchase  one  of  the  ancient  Samaritan  manuscripts,  was 
unable  to  do  so.  lie  learned  that  when  the  quarterly  visit  to 
Gerizim  is  made,  extracts  from  the  books  of  Moses  are  read, 
but  that  the  other  books  are  repeated  only  in  the  Jewish 
synagogues.  Wilson  and  Graham  have  given  an  account  of 
these  manuscripts  in  the  Lands  of  the  Bible.  At  the  time  of 
Wilson’s  second  visit,  he  found  the  floor  of  the  synagogue 
covered  with  mats,  and  saw  three  marble  slabs  covered  with 
inscriptions  which  were  only  seventy  years  old.  The  place 
devoted  to  prayer  is  so  situated  that  the  worshippers  look 
directly  out  upon  Gerizim. 

When  Wilson  entered2  Nablus  he  asked  at  the  gate  for 
the  Samaritani,  but  the  Arabs  did  not  understand  the  word : 
no  more  did  they  the  corresponding  Hebrew  term  Shome- 
ronim.  But  when  he  uttered  the  wrord  Samarah  they  com¬ 
prehended  directly,  and  a  young  man  took  him  at  once  to  the 
Samaritan  quarter.  On  the  way  he  encountered  a  priest  with 
a  white  turban  and  a  white  beard.  “  I  am,”  he  said,  u  Sala- 
mah  Ibn  Tobiah,  the  correspondent  of  the  French  scholar 
Baron  de  Sacy.”  He  is  probably  the  man  who  called  himself 
Salamah  Cahen3  in  the  letters  which  passed  between  Paris 
and  Nablus  in  1808,  1820,  and  1826.  This  man  was  de¬ 
lighted  to  find  that  Wilson,  who  came  from  India,  brought 

O  7  7  o 

him  letters  from  Samaritans  living  in  Bombay.  That,  he 

1  The  Christian  in  Palestine ,  p.  107,  Plate  24. 

2  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  pp.  47-63. 

3  Corresp.  des  Samaritains  de  N a  pious,  1808,  in  S.  de  Sacy,  Notic. 
et  Extr.  des  ms.  de  la  Bill,  du  Roi ,  T.  xii.  pp.  1-235  ;  Daunou,  in  Jonrn. 
d.  Savans ,  1833,  pp.  108-112;  S.  de  Sacy,  uber  den  gegenwartigen 
Zustand  der  Samaritaner. 


314 


PALESTINE. 


said,  was  what  he  had  long  wished.  He  conducted  his  guest 
through  a  garden  at  the  west  extremity  of  the  city,  then 
through  a  dark  passage,  and  to  a  staircase  leading  up  to  his 
dwelling  over  the  synagogue  ;  and  said  to  his  guest,  Here 
you  are  to  feel  yourself  at  home.  Upon  Wilson  expressing 
doubts  whether  the  letters  which  he  brought  him  from 
Bombay  were  from  true  Samaritans,  the  priest  repeated  at 
once  the  articles  of  his  faith.  They  ran  as  follows  : — 

Allah  Wahid  (God  is  one). 

Musa  Nabiyah  (Moses  is  His  prophet). 

Et  Torah  hi  el  Kutab  (the  Torah  is  the  book  of  the  law). 

Karizim  el  Kiblah  (Gerizim  is  the  Kiblah). 

Yakun  vom  el-keiamat  wa  ed-deinunat  (there  will  be  a 
resurrection  at  the  last  day). 

In  establishing  these  articles,  he  made  many  references  to 
the  Scriptures.  In  displaying  the  curiosities  of  the  place,  he 
showed  his  guest  a  very  finely  written  copy  of  the  Samaritan 
Pentateuch  executed  on  paper.  He  read  it  with  a  peculiar 
intonation,  quite  different  from  that  of  the  Jews.  At  break¬ 
fast  he  used  a  rare  service  of  silver.  Wilson1  gave  his  son, 
an  accomplished  man  of  thirty  years,  a  copy  of  the  Arabic 
New  Testament  ;  and  read  with  him  and  his  father  the 
fourth  chapter  of  John,  in  order  to  draw  from  him  his  views 
of  the  Messiah.  Wilson  gives  the  conversation  in  his  work, 
and  shows  on  what  grounds  the  Samaritans  refuse  to  accept 
Christ  as  the  Saviour  wdio  should  come. 

On  the  following  day  Wilson  sat  down  to  a  finely  served 
dinner ;  and  in  the  evening  he  met  an  assemblage  of  men, 
women,  and  children,  numbering  forty-five  in  all,  and  com¬ 
pletely  filling  the  room.  They  were  all  eager  to  see  and  to 
converse  with  the  stranger. 

Wilson  says  that  their  appearance  and  deportment  were 
striking,  but  not  disagreeable,  and  that  they  resemble  in 
many  respects  the  Kathis  of  India.  The  most  of  them  had 
a  strong  family  resemblance.  There  was  nothing  Jewish  in 
their  physiognomy;  their  faces  were  much  rounder  than  are 
those  of  the  Jews.  All  the  men  wore  red  turbans,  while  the 
1  "Wilson,  as  already  cited,  p.  51. 


THE  SAMARITANS  AT  NABLUS. 


315 


priests  had  a  white  one,  and  their  hair  done  up  behind  their 
ears.  Almost  all  wore  striped  woollen  stuffs.  Some  of  the 
children  were  very  fair,  and  had  the  fine  fresh  colour  of 
Europeans.  The  family  of  the  priest  claimed  to  descend 
from  the  tribe  of  Levi,  all  the  others  from  Ephraim  and 
Manasseh.  The  names  which  they  bear  are,  according  to 
Wilson,  the  same  which  occur  in  the  period  subsequent  to 
Solomon,  although  with  some  Arabic  modification. 

They  were  unacquainted  with  any  other  Samaritan  com¬ 
munity  than  that  at  Nablus ;  that  in  Egypt,  which  was 
existing  in  493,  and  had  a  synagogue  there  as  well  as  in  Rome, 
became  extinct  about  260  years  ago.  A  century  ago  there 
were,  indeed,  according  to  Edrisi,  scattered  individuals  of  the 
Samaritans  in  Askelon,  Gaza,1  Joppa,  and  Damascus,  but 
none  now  are  to  be  found.  Those  living  at  Nablus  never 
leave  their  own  city,  because  elsewhere  they  find  too  many 
obstacles  in  the  way  of  living  and  worshipping  after  their 
fashion :  they  cannot  have  any  communion  with  Jews  or 
Mohammedans  in  these  things,  and  must  always  repeat  their 
prayers  before  and  after  their  meals.  When  Wilson  told 
them  that  the  people  in  Bombay  who  pretended  to  be  Samari¬ 
tans  not  only  worshipped  Jehovah,  but  also  snakes  and  gods 
of  wood  and  stone,  they  cried  out  in  horror,  They  can  be  no 
Samaritans;  they  cannot  accept  Gerizim  as  their  Kiblah.2 

The  conversation  regarding  their  doctrines,  festivals,  and 
other  peculiarities,  lasted  till  late  into  the  night.  Wilson’s 
report3  of  the  conference  establishes  fully  the  accounts  which 
had  been  brought  to  us  by  their  own  communications,  with 
which  they  deserve  to  be  compared.  They  practise  circum¬ 
cision  and  monogamy,  and  their  prayers  they  regard  as  mere 
thank-offerings  to  Jehovah.  They  are  strict  observers  of  the 
Sabbath,  making  no  fire,  and  doing  no  cooking  on  that  day. 
They  celebrate  the  first  day  in  the  year:  the  new  moon 
begins  the  month  with  them,  and  they  hallow  its  advent  by 
prayer  before  and  afterward.  They  are  no  husbandmen,  but 

1  Edrisi,  ed.  Jaubert,  i.  p.  339. 

2  On  the  Sect  of  the  Beni  Israel  in  Bombay ,  in  Wilson,  ii.  pp.  GG7-G77. 

3  Wilson,  Lands ,  etc.,  ii.  pp.  65-G8. 


316 


PALESTINE. 


merchants,  copyists,  weavers,  tailors,  and  the  like.  Wilson 
was  rejoiced  at  his  second  visit  to  accomplish  what  he  failed 
to  do  on  the  occasion  of  his  first — namely,  to  purchase1  some 
of  their  manuscripts.  In  his  volumes  are  to  be  found  inte¬ 
resting  statements  regarding  the  literature  of  the  Samaritans,2 
and  some  transcripts  of  their  writings. 

The  eminent  traveller  Della  Valle  seems  to  have  been  the 
first  European  who  purchased  Samaritan  manuscripts.  This 
w7as  in  1616.  He  brought  them  back  to  his  own  country, 
and  thereby  awakened  much  interest  in  the  remnant  of  this 
long-forgotten  and  extremely  interesting  nation,  which,  though 
so  small,  connects  the  present  with  an  epoch  so  ancient.  The 
scholars  of  Europe  immediately  began  to  examine  the  con¬ 
tents  of  these  writings,  and  their  studies  were  shared  with 
some  of  the  most  distinguished  of  eastern  scholars.  It  was 
found  that  differences  existed  not  only  between  the  text,  but 
also  the  contents  of  their  Scriptures,  and  those  which  the 
Jews  hold.  Among  those  who  took  an  active  interest  in 
these  writings  were  the  Scaligers  ;  Job  Ludolf,  distinguished 
for  his  acquaintance  with  Ethiopian  history;  Maundrell,3 
who  was  prompted  to  make  further  personal  investigations 
regarding  the  Samaritans ;  and  Reland.  Robert  Huntington, 
chaplain  to  the  English  agency  in  Aleppo,  visited  the  Sama¬ 
ritans  in  1671,  and  amazed  them  by  his  familiarity  with  the 
language  of  their  sacred  books.  They  could  not  restrain  the 
belief,  in  consequence,  that  there  must  be  colonies  of  their 
countrymen  in  Europe ;  and  they  proposed  to  open  a  cor¬ 
respondence  with  them,  hoping  in  this  way  to  somewhat 
alleviate  their  poverty.  This  gave  rise  to  communications, 
not  with  European  Samaritans,  but  with  European  scholars, 
particularly  with  the  Abbe  Gregoire,  who  proposed  to  them 
the  most  eager  questions  regarding  their  numbers,  dwellings, 
habits,  customs,  faith,  their  synagogue,  their  relation  to  the 
Caraites  and  other  Jews,  their  sacrifices  on  Gerizim,  their 
literature,  etc.  The  most  important  of  their  answers,  parti- 

1  Wilson,  Lands ,  etc.,  ii.  p.  297.  2  Ibid.  pp.  687-701. 

3  Maundrell,  Journey ,  Oxford,  p.  60 ;  H.  Eeland,  in  Dissert,  vii.  de 
Samaritanis,  in  liis  miscellaneous  writings. 


TIIE  SAMARITANS  AT  NABLUS. 


317 


cularly  those  sent  by  Salamah  Cahen,  have  been  published 
by  Silvestre  de  Sacy,  and  form  a  valuable  body  of  testimony 
regarding  this  peculiar  people,  to  our  knowledge  of  whose 
character  and  peculiarities  Robinson1  and  AVilson  have  since 
added  so  much.  The  history  of  Nablus  and  the  changes  in 
its  population  are  fully2  detailed  by  Robinson. 

There  are  still  two  localities  on  the  east  side  of  Nablus 
which  require  description,  Jacob’s  well  and  Joseph’s  grave, 
regarding  whose  genuineness  various  questions  and  doubts 
have  been  raised.  The  Samaritans  regard  them  both  as 
exactly  what  their  names  define  them  to  be,  although  Joseph’s 
grave  is  now  surmounted  with  a  mere  Mohammedan  wely. 
Christians  sometimes  give  the  name  Well  of  the  Samaritan 
Woman  to  the  one  to  which  the  name  of  Jacob  is  almost 
uniformly  applied. 

Robinson  found3  this  a  half-hour’s  distance  east  of  the 
city,  entirely  dry  at  the  time  of  his  visit,  but  bearing  traces 
of  antiquity.  It  was  not  only  deep,  but  was  said  to  have 
water  in  it  at  other  seasons  of  the  year.  As  it  was  evening, 
he  was  unable  to  take  any  measurement  of  its  depth.  That 
the  original  well  was  deep,  is  made  abundantly  clear  by  the 
passage  in  John  iv.,  where  the  fact  is  distinctly  stated. 

Maundrell4  long  ago  paid  especial  attention  to  this  well, 
which  has  so  great  interest  not  to  the  Samaritans  alone,  but  also 
to  Jew's  and  to  Christians.  To  the  objection  that  it  lies  too 
far  from  the  city  to  be  the  well  from  which  the  woman  di’ew 
wrater,  he  answers  that  the  abundant  traces  of  walls  in  the 
neighbourhood  prove  decisively  that  the  ancient  Shechem 
extended  far  toward  the  east,  and  that  it  was  only  when 
Neapolis  was  built  that  it  began  to  reach  westward.  Over 
the  well,  Maundrell  goes  on  to  say,  there  once  stood  a  great 
church,  built  by  the  Empress  Helena,  but  of  which  there 
remained  at  the  time  of  his  visit  only  the  slightest  traces. 

1  Comp.  E.  D.  Clarke,  Trav.  iv.  pp.  272-280;  A.  Knobel,  zur  Ges.  der 
Samciritaner,  p.  129. 

2  The  Christian  in  Palestine ,  p.  119,  Plate  27. 

3  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  291. 

4  Maundrell,  Journ.  pp.  62,  63. 


313 


PALESTINE. 


The  well  was  arched  over,  and  a  flight  of  steps  led  down 
to  the  water.  The  excavation  was  a  hundred  and  five  feet 
deep,  and  three  paces  in  diameter.  The  water  was  fifteen 
feet  deep  at  the  time  of  his  visit.  Maundrell’s  description 
appears,  however,  to  be  much  overdrawn.  As  the  'well  is 
found  at  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  Valley  of  Shechem, 
it  is  not  at  all  improbable  that  the  plain  formed  a  part  of  the 
land  which  Jacob  gave  to  his  son  Joseph,  and  in  which  his 
remains  were  placed  after  being  brought  up  from  Egypt 
(Gen.  xlviii.  22  ;  John  iv.  5  ;  Josh.  xxiv.  32). 

In  earlier  times  there  stood,  according  to  Bonifacius  de 
Ragusio,  in  the  year  1555,  an  altar  in  the  vault  over  the  wTell, 
and  at  this  altar  mass  used  to  be  celebrated  once  every  year. 
The  tradition  regarding  the  well  of  Jacob  and  the  grave  of 
Joseph  (which  lies  a  little  north  of  the  well)  goes  bach  to  the 
time  of  Eusebius,  although  he  speaks  only  of  the  tomb.  The 
Bordeaux  Itinerary /  however,  speaks  in  A.d.  333  of  both 
the  tomb  and  the  well.  He  says  that  the  latter  was  the  one 
where  the  Saviour  talked  with  the  Samaritan  woman,  and 
that  plane  trees  had  grown  up  around  it.  Eusebius  makes 
no  mention  of  a  church  there ;  but  Jerome  alludes  to  it, 
stating  that  his  pupil,  the  Roman  pilgrim  Paula,  visited  it  in 
40-1 :  it  was  therefore  not  built  by  Paula,  as  so  many  are 
falsely  said  to  have  been.  All  subsequent  pilgrims  speak 
of  the  church  down  to  the  time  of  the  Crusades,  when  it 
appears  to  have  been  destroyed,  as  Brocardus  finds  it  in  ruins 
in  1283. 

Although  there  is  no  proof  of  the  identity  of  the  present 
well  and  the  ancient  one  known  by  the  name  of  Jacob,  yet 
its  situation  in  relation  to  the  city,  on  whose  eastern  side  there 
still  runs  the  great  highway  to  Galilee,  which  unquestionably 
Jesus  took,  is  such  as  to  make  it  in  the  highest  degree  pro¬ 
bable  that  the  place  is  the  one  which  has  become  so  hallowed 
to  all  readers  of  holy  writ. 

Wilson  speaks  of  finding  the  traces  of  a  church"  which 
must  once  have  stood  over  the  well.  The  mouth  of  the  latter 

1  Itin.  Burdig.  ed.  Parthey,  p.  276. 

2  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  p.  54. 


JACOB'S  WELL. 


319 


was  covered  with  two  great  stones,  which  he  removed  with 
the  help  of  the  Arabs.  The  opening  he  likens  to  one  which 
was  once  covered  by  an  arch.  The  diameter  was  only  about 
two  feet ;  the  shaft  was  dark  and  deep.  Three  years  before, 
the  missionary  Bonar  had  dropped  his  Bible  down  into  the 
well ;  an  Arab  descended  with  a  light,  and  found  it  dry. 
After  emerging,  the  poor  fellow  seemed  to  be  quite  exhausted ; 
but  he  soon  rallied  sufficiently  to  ask  for  bakhsheesh,  and  a 
sovereign  completely  restored  him.  The  well  was  ascertained 
to  be  seventy-five  feet  deep,  and  had  the  appearance  of  great 
antiquity.  The  tomb  of  Joseph,  which  is  coupled  imme¬ 
diately  with  the  well  by  the  older  travellers,  lies  two  to  three 
hundred  paces  to  the  north,  directly  across  the  valley.  The 
present  structure  is  small,  but  substantial,  roofed  over,  and 
having  altars  at  the  ends  which  bear  the  appellations  of 
Ephraim  and  Manasseh.  On  the  walls  within,  Wilson1  saw 
the  names  of  many  Samaritan  and  Jewish  pilgrims,  and  also 
some  writing  in  a  character  which  was  thought  to  be  of 
Egyptian  origin.  Excavations  carried  on  beneath  this  struc¬ 
ture,  which  Wilson  thinks  nothing  more  than  a  Mohammedan 
wely,  would  lead,  in  his  opinion,  to  valuable  results  respecting 
the  authenticity  of  the  place  as  the  grave  of  Joseph.  The 
Jewrs  have  lately  made  some  repairs  there,  but  have  brought 
no  new  facts  to  light  respecting  it.  Yon  Schubert  describes 
a  Mohammedan  ceremony2  which  he  witnessed  there,  but 
which  seems  to  stand  in  no  relation  to  the  grave. 

In  modern  times,3  the  neffilibourhood  of  Nablus  has 
been  considered  one  of  the  most  dangerous  in  all  Palestine  ; 
and  travellers  going  northward  choose  the  road  from  Jaffa 
along  the  sea,  in  preference  to  the  regular  highway  over  the 
hills.  The  city  used  to  be  comprised4  in  the  pashalic  of 
Damascus  ;  then  in  that  of  Acca  :  but  the  chief  men  of  the 
neighbourhood  were  in  reality  all-powerful,  and  their  sway 
was  only  supplemented  by  that  of  the  pasha.  In  consequence 

1  Wilson,  l.c.  ii.  p.  60. 

2  Von  Schubert,  Reise ,  iii.  pp.  139-142. 

3  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  301. 

4  AV.  G.  Browne,  Travels  in  Syria,  p.  359. 


320 


PALESTINE. 


of  tliis,  the  people  have  always  been  given  to  disquiet  and 
uprisings  and  robbery.  Jezzar  Pasha  never  succeeded,  with 
all  his  power,  in  reducing  the  people  of  Nablus  to  subjec¬ 
tion  ;  and  so  formidable  were  they,  that  the  French  never 
subdued  them,  but  were  themselves  routed,  Junot  with  1500 
soldiers  being  compelled  to  withdraw  from  the  field.  It 
was  difficult  to  go  safely  through  the  city  even  with  a  mili¬ 
tary  escort :  from  which  circumstance  so  little  was  known 
formerly  regarding  it.  It  was  only  when  the  strong  hand 
of  Ibrahim  Pasha  had  been  laid  upon  the  province,  that  the 
local  chieftains  were  compelled  to  yield,  and  the  city  was 
made  safe  for  travellers.  Since  then  it  has  been  visited  by 
large  numbers  of  Europeans,  and  its  topography  and  anti¬ 
quities  largely  explored. 

DISCURSION  III. 

THE  HOAD  FROM  NABLUS  TO  SEBASTE,  THE  ANCIENT  SIIOMRON  OF  THE 
HEBREWS,  THE  SAMARIA  OF  THE  GREEKS,  THE  SEBASTE  (AUGUSTA)  OF 
THE  ROMANS,  AND  THE  USBUSTE  OF  THE  LOCAL  POPULATION  :  THE 
ANTIQUITIES  OF  THE  PLACE. 

On  the  route  from  Nablus  to  the  ancient  Samaria,  the 
present  Sebastieh,  the  Sebaste  of  former  times,  Robinson1 
is  again  our  most  trustworthy  guide,  and  all  subsequent 
explorers  have  acknowledged  the  fidelity  of  his  descriptions 
and  the  accuracy  of  his  explorations.  Leaving  Nablus,  he 
went  w.n.w.  and  N.W.,  following  the  upper  course  of  Nalir 
Arsuf  downward.  On  his  way  he  met  an  Egyptian  caravan 
laden  with  salt,  going  to  Jenin,  and  so  onward  to  Damascus. 

There  is  a  more  direct  road  to  Jenin,  skirting  the  eastern 
base  of  Ebal.  Between  the  eastern  and  the  western  routes 
there  is  a  third  path  running  northward  directly  over  the 
crest  of  Ebal.  It  is  the  most  direct  route  from  Sebastieh 
to  Nazareth  and  Esdraelon,  but  is  seldom  taken  :  the  only 
person  who  has  mentioned  its  existence  is  Otto  von  Richter,2 
who  passed  over  it  in  1816. 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  302  et  sq. 

2  0.  v.  Richter,  Wallfahrten ,  p.  57. 


TIIE  CITY  OF  SAMARIA. 


321 


The  road  running  westward  from  Nablus  passes  by 
several  springs,  the  valley  being  rich  in  them.  It  is  to  its 
ample  supply  of  water  that  it  is  indebted  for  the  fine  gardens 
and  orchards  and  fields  which  fill  the  valley,  and  which  so 
entirely  use  the  contributions  of  the  numerous  springs,  that 
nowhere  is  there  a  brook  of  any  importance.  It  is  to  the 
beauty  of  this  region  which  Hosea  refers  when  he  says  (ix. 
13,  following  the  German  translation),  “  Ephraim,  as  I  saw 
it,  is  as  fair  and  as  fruitful  as  Tyre.” 

When  Wilson  passed  through  this  valley  on  the  26th  of 
May,1  the  fields  were  literally  u  white  to  the  harvest,” — an 
expression  which  seemed  all  the  more  appropriate  from  the 
fact  that  the  grain  is  often  allowed  to  hang  for  a  long  time 
ungathered  when  there  is  no  promise  of  a  cold  winter.  Two 
months  earlier  2  the  fruit-trees  of  the  valley  were  mostly  in 
bloom  ;  the  figs  and  olives  were  ripe ;  swarms  of  singing 
birds  filled  the  air — a  phenomenon  which  is  exceedingly  rare 
in  Palestine. 

The  ancient  Shomron  of  the  Hebrews ,  Samaria ,  the  present 
Sebastieh,  or  the  Usbuste  of  the  common  people. 

The  site  of  this  ancient  city,  says  Robinson,  is  still  marked 
by  buildings,  which  climb  the  side  of  the  hill  on  which  it 
stood,  and  where  is  a  narrow  terrace,  which  runs  round  it 
like  a  girdle.  Below  this  terrace  the  declivity  inclines 
gradually  towards  the  valley.  Pligher  up  there  are  traces  of 
other  terraces,  on  which  it  may  be  that  the  streets  of  the 
ancient  city  ran.3 

The  present  village  of  Usbuste  (926  feet  above  the  sea, 
according  to  von  Schubert)  lies  upon  the  eastern  portion  of 
this  even  girdle  :  it  is  modern,  the  houses  being  built  of 
fragments  of  the  ancient  city.  The  inhabitants  are  repre¬ 
sented  as  very  restless,  and  given  to  uprisings  ;4  yet  Robinson5 

1  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  p.  300. 

2  Ibid.  ii.  p.  80. 

8  Barth,  ms.  communication,  1847. 

4  Reland,  Pal.  pp.  979-983. 

6  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  314. 


VOL.  IV. 


X 


322 


PALESTINE. 


says  that  he  had  a  cordial  reception  from  them,  while  other 
tourists  give  a  very  unfavourable  report  in  this  respect.1  The 
first  thing  which  the  traveller  meets  which  surprises  him  is 
the  ruined  Church  of  John  the  Baptist,  lying  on  the  site 
where  the  legend  asserts  that  he  was  killed  and  buried.  The 
eastern  extremity  rises  strikingly  above  the  steep  edge  of  the 
slope,  and  is  seen  before  the  village  itself  is  descried.  All 
the  way  up  the  declivity  the  sight  is  riveted,  says  Barth,2 
by  the  masterly  architecture  of  the  church,  which,  although 
executed  in  the  middle  ages,  shows  how  powerful  an  influ¬ 
ence  Roman  art  exercised  even  after  the  era  of  the  Crusades. 
The  interior  of  the  great  recess  is  one  of  the  finest  and  most 
ornate  examples  of  the  Roman  style,  and  detains  the  visitor 
in  long-protracted  contemplation.  Robinson3  gives  a  very 
close  description  of  this  church.  On  the  west  side  there  is  a 
narrow  vestibule  :  the  walls,  which  still  remain  very  high, 
enclose  a  space,  wherein  a  mosque  and  another  small  build¬ 
ing  are  standing.  The  church  has  a  length  of  about  153 
feet,  and  a  width  of  about  75  feet.  The  altar  niche,  which 
occupies  a  great  part  of  the  eastern  rounded  portion  of  the 
church,  is  an  imposing  specimen  of  mixed  architecture,  in 
which  the  Greek  style  predominates  :  three  arches  of  the 
windows  are  uncommonly  ornamented ;  the  upper  arches  in 
the  interior  of  the  church  are  pointed,  as  are  also  the  great 
ones  in  the  nave.  The  last  rest  upon  pillars,  which  belong 
to  no  special  architectural  order,  the  capitals  of  which,  how¬ 
ever,  are  an  impure  Corinthian.  The  windows  are  high  and 
narrow.  The  whole  church  has  the  appearance  of  a  military 
position,  and  the  pillars  on  the  outside  have  contributed  their 
share  to  this  effect.  Within,  Robinson  saw  some  large  marble 
tablets  set  in  a  modern  wall,  on  which  numerous  crosses  of 
the  order  of  St  John  are  wrought  in  relief.  The  Moham¬ 
medans,  however,  have  done  much  to  injure  them.  Robin¬ 
son  makes  no  allusion  to  a  great  arch  for  water,  which  others 
have  mentioned  as  on  the  south  side  of  the  church,  and 

1  Yon  Raumer,  Pal.  p.  143  ;  Winer,  Bib.  Realtv.  ii.  p.  368. 

2  Barth,  Reise,  MS.  1847  ;  The  Christian  in  Palestine ,  p.  116. 

3  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  365. 


THE  CITY  OF  SAMARIA. 


323 


which  Barth  measured.  He  found  the  length  up  to  the 
point  where  it  is  in  ruins  to  be  140  feet,  and  its  breadth  to 
be  30  feet. 

Tradition  inaccurately  ascribes  this  church  to  Helena : 
the  eastern  part  may  possibly  date  from  the  time  of  the 
Crusades.  The  many  crosses  found  in  it  make  it  not  im¬ 
probable  that  it  stood  in  connection  with  the  Latin  bishopric 
which  was  established  here  by  the  Knights  of  the  Order  of 
St  John,  regarding  which  we  have  no  authentic  historical 
testimony. 

Within  the  ruins  of  the  church  the  Arabs  point  out  and 
hold  in  great  devotion  the. grave  Neby  Yehya,  i.e.  of  John 
the  Baptist,  a  small  chamber  deeply  hollowed  out  in  the  rock, 
to  which  twenty-one  steps  descend.  The  legend  asserts  that 
here  was  the  place  where  the  Baptist  wTas  for  a  long  time  a 
prisoner;  but  both  Josephus  and  Eusebius  transfer  the  scene 
of  his  confinement  to  Machserus,  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Dead  Sea,  and  the  legend  which  connects  his  name  with 
Samaria  appears  to  be  of  modern  origin.1 

Wilson  was  prevented  visiting  this  church  by  the  rude 
conduct  of  the  people  of  the  village.  The  foundation  walls 
seemed  to  him  of  more  ancient  origin  than  the  upper  portion 
of  the  structure.  Like  Robinson,  Wilson  noticed  other  ruins 
on  the  south  side  of  the  place,  but  was  unable  to  learn  their 
original  use  and  significance ;  and  many  of  the  fragments  of 
rock  lying  in  the  valley  he  conjectured  to  be  mere  bits  of  the 
mountain  which  had  been  detached,  and  had  rolled  down  the 
side.  In  the  upper  part  of  the  village  lay  the  threshing- 
floors;  and  here  Robinson  saw  used  for  the  first  time  a  machine 
which  was  dragged  by  cattle  over  the  grain,  and  which  cut 
the  straw.  The  whole  mountain  of  Samaria,  says  Robinson, 
is  fruitful,  and  cultivated  to  the  top.  Not  a  trace  is  to  be 
seen  of  the  ancient  Shomron,  the  capital  built  by  Omri, 
the  king  of  Israel,  which  suffered  the  same  fate  with  She- 
chem,  being  pillaged  by  John  Ilyrcanus.  It  was  restored  by 
Gabinius,  however ;  but  nothing  remains  of  it  now,  with  the 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  30G  et  sq.  ;  Wilson,  Lands  of  the 
Bible ,  ii.  pp.  82,  301. 


324 


PALESTINE. 


possible  exception  of  a  few  ruins  on  the  very  summit  of  the 
hill.  The  prophecy  contained  in  Micah  i.  6  has  been  lite¬ 
rally  fulfilled:  “I  will  make  Samaria  as  a  heap  of  the  field, 
and  as  plantings  of  a  vineyard ;  and  I  will  pour  down  the 
stones  thereof  into  the  valley,  and  I  will  discover  the  founda¬ 
tions  thereof.”  The  area  around  the  summit  is  still  strewn 
with  limestone  pillars,  fifteen  of  which  are  in  an  erect  and 
two  in  a  horizontal  position.  They  are  almost  eight  feet  in 
circumference.  They  are  of  a  very  uncertain  architectural 
character,  and  appear  to  have  once  belonged  to  a  heathen 
temple,  although  no  foundations  of  such  a  structure  are  now 
to  be  found.  Phocas  and  Brocardus  speak  of  a  church  and 
a  convent  as  existing  there  in  their  time,  but  Robinson  was 
unable  to  detect  any  traces  of  Christian  edifices.  Wilson 
says  that  there  are  no  capitals  on  the  columns :  they  seemed 
to  him  to  have  once  belonged  to  a  quadrangle  two  hundred 
and  twenty  paces  long,  and  eighty-four  wide.  Robinson 
speaks  in  terms  of  special  warmth  regarding  the  noble  pano¬ 
ramic  view  afforded  by  this  position,  extending  far  and  wide, 
and  taking  in  the  blue  waters  of  the  Mediterranean. 

On  descending  the  mountain,  which  is  here  and  there 
overgrown  with  fine  groups  of  olive  trees,  and  which  is  so 
noble  in  its  situation  that  Bartlett1  compares  it  with  the  site 
of  Jerusalem,  Robinson  discovered  on  the  west  side2  a  noble 
colonnade,  which  appears  to  have  orjce  run  entirely  round 
the  mountain  as  far  as  to  the  locality  where  the  modern 
village  is  situated.  It  begins  at  a  heap  of  ruins,  where  once 
stood  the  tower  of  a  temple,  or  an  arch  of  triumph  it  may  be, 
and  from  which  there  is  an  extensive  view.  It  is  not  impos¬ 
sible  that  here  was  the  former  entrance  to  Herod’s  Sebaste. 
From  that  point  the  colonnade  runs  for  a  thousand  feet 
toward  the  E.S.E.,  and  then  bears  to  the  left,  following  the 
base  of  the  mountain.  In  the  western  portion  there  are  sixty 
limestone  pillars  now  standing  in  the  midst  of  cultivated 
fields ;  farther  east  there  are  twenty  more  standing  at  various 

1  Bartlett,  Walks,  etc.,  l.c.  p.  255. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  307 ;  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii. 
p.  301 ;  Christian  in  Palestine ,  p.  110. 


RUINS  OF  SAMARIA. 


325 


distances  apart,  and  many  more  may  be  seen  prostrate. 
Robinson  was  able  to  trace  the  fragments  as  far  as  to  the 
village.  The  height  of  the  perfect  ones  was  only  moderate, 
about  sixteen  feet;  the  capitals  were  very  unlike  in  character; 
the  diameter  of  some  was  less  than  two  feet,  and  at  the  top 
one  foot  eight  inches.  The  two  parallel  rows  were  fifty  feet 
apart,  and  their  whole  extent,  reckoning  the  many  breaks 
where  none  are  now  found,  was  as  much  as  3000  feet. 
Robinson  thought  that  they  were  unquestionably  the  remains 
of  the  colonnade  which  Herod  built  to  adorn  Sebaste  Augusta 
in  honour  of  his  imperial  patron.  Wilson,  on  his  second 
visit,  inspected  these  ruins  much  more  closely  than  he  did 
the  first  time  he  was  there,  and  agrees  entirely  with  Robinson 
in  his  estimate,  but  adds  that  the  space  between  the  columns 
was  about  eight  feet,  the  width  of  the  avenue  twenty-two 
paces  of  a  horse,  and  the  length  of  the  colonnade  1172  such 
paces.  He  counted  only  seventy  upright  columns  on  the 
terrace.  Judging  from  the  fragments  which  he  found,  he 
considered  that  the  Ionic  order  was  the  one  in  which  they 
were  finished.  Wilson  supposes  that  this  colonnade  formed 
the  border  of  the  tract  in  whose  centre  stood  the  temple 
erected  by  Herod.  Josephus  closes  chap.  viii.  5  of  Book  xv. 
of  the  Antiquities  with  a  description  of  the  structures  built 
by  Herod  in  Samaria.  After  giving  an  account  of  the  other 
buildings  erected  by  Herod  at  Jerusalem,  Askelon,  Csesarea, 
and  elsewhere,  he  says  that  the  many  conspiracies  of  the 
Jews  against  this  tyrant  were  the  occasion  of  his  building  the 
fortifications  which  he  did,  such  as  that  at  Gaba  in  Galilee, 
Heshbon  in  Gilead,  and  Sebaste  in  Samaria.  To  accomplish 
the  last  of  these  undertakings  he  carried  thither  a  garrison 
of  6000  men,  and  set  them  at  work  at  building  a  temple, 
which  should  serve  alike  for  the  purposes  of  worship,  as  a 
place  of  refuge  in  time  of  danger,  and  as  a  memorial  of  his 
magnificence.  He  hoped  also  to  make  this  a  central  point, 
from  which  to  extend  undisputed  authority  over  the  whole 
population  of  the  neighbourhood.  He  divided  the  adjacent 
land  among  his  colonists ;  he  surrounded  the  city  which  he 
called  Sebaste  (Augusta)  with  very  strong  walls,  and  availed 


326 


PALESTINE. 


himself  of  the  steepness  of  the  mountain  for  the  purposes  of 
fortification.  The  previous  size  of  the  city  was  not  large 
enough  to  suit  his  purposes,  as  he  determined  to  make  it  the 
equal  of  the  most  celebrated  cities.  It  was  twenty  stadia  in 
circumference,  and  the  largest  portion  of  the  wall  which  sur¬ 
rounded  it  was  of  great  strength.  In  the  heart  of  the  place 
was  a  sacred  space  reserved  of  three  and  a  half  stadia  in  cir¬ 
cumference,  within  which  he  built  a  temple  of  remarkable 
size  and  beauty.  Every  part  of  the  city,  too,  received  its 
appropriate  ornaments.  Of  all  these  magnificent  works 
nothing  remains  but  a  few  broken  pillars  and  some  frag¬ 
ments  of  hammered  stone,  and  the  prophecy  of  Micah  has 
been  literally  fulfilled. 

The  history  of  ancient  and  modern  Samaria  may  be 
found  fully  portrayed  in  the  volumes  of  Reland1  and  Robin¬ 
son.2  The  records  of  the  latter  are  meagre,  however,  in  the 
first  centuries  of  the  Christian  era,  and  during  the  epoch  of 
the  Crusades.  We  know,  however,  that  a  Latin  bishopric 
was  established  there,  it  being  alluded  to  once  or  twice ;  and 
even  earlier,  at  the  time  of  the  Council  of  Nicaea,  the  names 
of  bishops  occur  at  Sebaste,  although  nothing  is  known 
respecting  the  state  of  the  church  there.  The  New  Testa¬ 
ment  informs  us,  however,  that  the  gospel  was  preached  by 
Philip  in  Samaria,  and  in  its  neighbourhood,  before  he  went 
to  Gaza,  Ashdod,  and  Caesarea,  and  that  it  was  joyfully  re¬ 
ceived,  so  that  many  men  and  women  were  baptized  (Acts 
viii.  5-25).  The  present  titular  bishop  of  Sebaste  resides  in 
the  convent  at  Jerusalem.  I  ought  not  to  close  without 
alluding  to  Wolcott’s3  valuable  chartographical  contributions 
respecting  Sebastiyeh  and  its  neighbourhood. 

1  Reland,  Pal.  pp.  979-983. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  309  et  sq. 

3  Wolcott,  Excursion ,  in  Bib.  Sacra,  No.  1,  1843,  p.  74,  Note  2. 


ROUTE  FROM  REBASTE  TO  ESDRAELON.  327 


DISCURSION  IV. 

ROUTE  FROM  SEBASTE  TO  THE  SOUTHERN  ENTRANCE  INTO  THE  PLAIN  OF 

ESDRAELON  AT  JENIN,  TA’aNUK,  MEGIDDO,  AND  THE  NORTHERN  BORDER 

OF  SAMARIA. 

The  northern  routes  from  the  two  chief  places  in  Samaria, 
Nablus,  and  Sebaste,  usually  conduct  the  traveller  to  the 
great  Damascus  road  by  way  of  Jenin.  The  route  then  tra¬ 
verses  the  extensive  and  celebrated  plain  of  Esdraelon,  and 
passes  between  Gilboa  and  Little  Hermon,  by  way  of  the 
ancient  Jezreel  (the  modern  Zerin),  and  so  on  to  Beisan,  the 
Roman  Scythopolis ;  or  else  it  skirts  Tabor,  and  runs  directly 
to  the  Jordan.  This  portion  of  the  route  has  been  discussed 
fully  in  a  previous  part  of  the  work,  and  need  not  be  con¬ 
sidered  further  here.  But  the  road  between  Sebaste  and 
Jenin,  which  has  been  described  by  Robinson,  Schubert, 
Wilson,  Barth,  and  others,  has  not  yet  been  fully  described 
in  this  work. 

Much  less  known  is  the  direct  route  leading  northward 
from  Gerizim  and  Ebal  over  Sanur  to  Nazareth ;  and  the 
district  lying  west  of  Sebaste,  and  between  it  and  the  plain 
of  Esdraelon,  has  been  traversed  by  no  European. 

Robinson,  who  still  remains  our  most  trustworthy  guide 
in  these  regions,  says :  There  are  two  roads  which  may  be 
taken  from  Sebaste  to  the  great  Damascus  road  at  Jenin  :  a 
southern  one,  the  more  easy  of  the  two,  by  way  of  Beit 
Imrin,  and  probably  the  one  which  was  taken  by  Wilson  1 
in  May  1843,  and  of  which  he  says  that  it  is  traversable  by 
vehicles,  this  being  impossible  in  other  parts  of  Judah  and 
Ephraim.  The  more  northern  one  of  the  two,  leading  over 
Burka,2  was  the  one  which  Robinson  took.  This  village, 
which  was  reached  in  three-quarters  of  an  hour’s  constant 
ascent,  is  large :  it  lies  upon  an  elevated  terrace,  and,  like  all 
other  Samaritan  villages,  it  is  surrounded  with  olive  groves. 

Directly  north  of  this  beautiful  landscape  a  distant  view 

1  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible,  ii.  p.  502. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  311. 


328 


PALESTINE. 


of  the  Mediterranean  Sea 1  is  gained.  Northward  there  are 
to  be  seen  the  most  charming  plains.  A  fine  broad  valley 
running  from  east  to  west  divides  this  irregular  region  into 
two  parts,  the  eastern  one  of  which  forms  an  extended  oval 
plain,  on  whose  north-western  side  lies  Sanur,  although  it  is 
not  to  be  seen.  The  western  one  is  narrower,  less  regular  in 
form,  and  inclines  gently  towards  the  Mediterranean. 

The  ruins  of  Sanur  lie  on  a  rocky  height  once  defended 
with  fortifications,  which  are  now  in  a  state  of  decay.  In  the 
year  1801,  when  Dr  Clarke  passed  through  this  region,  they 
bore  a  resemblance  to  an  ancient  Norman  fortress,  and  were 
occupied  by  a  hospitable  chief,  who  gave  him  a  courteous 
reception.  Clarke  called  the  place  Santorri ;  and  as  he  was 
unacquainted  with  the  situation  of  Sebaste,  he  held  the  place 
to  be  the  site  of  the  ancient  Samaria,  although  Maundrell,  to 
whom  he  refers,  was  acquainted  with  the  latter.  Sanur  lies 
so  securely  upon  the  rocky  height  which  sustains  it,  that  J ezzar 
Pasha  besieged  it  for  two  months  in  vain. 

Descending  from  this  high  land  through  fine  olive  groves 
and  well-watered  valleys,  no  long  time  transpires  before  the 
traveller  reaches  the  city  of  Jenin,  lying  on  the  frontier  of 
Samaria  and  the  plain  of  Esdraelon.  Wilson  came  over 
this  route,2  and  made  some  halt  under  the  olive  trees  out¬ 
side  of  the  city,  where  shepherdesses  were  milking  their  cows  ; 
their  ornaments  were  of  so  striking  a  character  as  to  recall 
the  words  of  the  Song  of  Solomon  (i.  10)  :  u  Thy  cheeks 
are  comely  with  rows  of  jewels,  and  thy  neck  with  chains 
of  gold.” 

Wolcott,3  who  in  leaving  Sebaste  took  the  road  running 
northward  by  way  of  Burka,  left  Fendekumieh  on  the  right, 
passed  the  wadi  which  is  the  usual  route  of  travellers,  and 
which  runs  eastward  through  Jeba,  and  went  still  northward 
over  the  rolling  land  till  he  reached  the  village  of  A  jjah.  On 
a  height  at  the  west  he  saw  the  village  of  er-Bameh,  which 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  312  ;  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible , 
ii.  p.  83  ;  Bartli,  MS.  Reise. 

2  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  p.  83. 

3  S.  Wolcott,  in  Bib.  Sacra ,  1843,  p.  75. 


ROUTE  FROM  SEBASTE  TO  ESDRAELON.  329 


commands  an  extensive  prospect.  Going  on  thence,  first  to 
the  n.n.e.  and  then  N.W.,  he  passed  through  an  open  tract,  with 
rounded  knolls  and  broad  green  valleys ;  then  over  meadows 
surrounded  by  high  hills,  on  which  he  saw  several  villages, 
among  them  Kuhatiyeh.  He  had  then  approached  tolerably 
near  the  ordinary  route  to  Jenin,  and  shortly  after  he  reached 
the  village  of  Burkin.  From  this  place  Wolcott  espied,  a 
half-hour  westward,  Kerf  Kud,  whose  site  apparently  corre¬ 
sponds  to  the  Ivaparkotnei  of  Ptolemy,1  which  was  his  con¬ 
jectural  Capernaum.  In  the  Peutinger  Tables,  Capacorta  is 
given  as  an  intermediate  station  between  Caesarea  and  Sc.ytho- 
polis ;  but  we  know  nothing  further  regarding  it  than  that  it 
was  twenty-eight  Roman  miles  from  the  former,  and  twenty- 
four  from  the  latter.  From  Burkin,  where  Wolcott2  passed 
a  night,  he  went  on  through  Wadi  Rustuk,  and  entered  a 
large  plain  on  whose  eastern  side  lies  the  village  of  Kefr 
Addan.  Going  northward,  he  passed  a  small  wadi  leading  to 
Yamon,  and  in  two  hours  reached  the  border  of  Esdraelon. 
In  three-quarters  of  an  hour  more  he  came  to  the  insignificant 
village  of  Taanuk,  lying  five  minutes  distant  from  the  road,  on 
the  south  side  of  a  small  hill,  crowned  by  a  bit  of  level  land, 
and  first  observed  by  von  Schubert.3  A  wely  with  a  sculp¬ 
tured  portal,  and  with  the  broken  capitals  of  a  pillar,  convinced 
him  that  it  was  a  place  of  some  antiquity.  It  unquestionably 
occupies  the  site  of  Taanach,4  the  ancient  Canaanite  city, 
which  is  mentioned  in  Josh.  xii.  21  in  conjunction  with 
Megiddo,  and  as  one  of  the  thirty-one  Canaanite  cities  which 
Joshua  took  and  gave  to  the  Israelites.  Though  lying  in  the 
territory  of  Issachar,  these  conquered  cities  were  reckoned  as 
the  property  of  Manasseh :  the  original  inhabitants,  however, 
were  not  driven  out,  but  continued  to  live  in  them,  and  to  pay 
tribute  to  their  conquerors  (see  Josh.  xvii.  11).  At  the  time 

1  Reland,  Pal.  p.  4C0  ;  Ptolem.  ed  Bertii,  fol.  140,  p.  1G1 ;  v.  Raumer, 
Pal.  p.  402. 

2  Wolcott,  p.  77. 

3  Yon  Schubert,  Reise ,  iii.  p.  164 ;  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  306. 

4  Reland,  Pal.  p.  1032 ;  v.  Raumer,  Pal.  p.  148 ;  Keil,  Comment,  zu 
Josua,  p.  236. 


330 


PALESTINE. 


of  Deborah,  the  kings  of  the  Canaanites  strove  at  the  waters 
of  Megiddo,  but  they  gained  no  advantage  from  their  contest, 
and  were  eventually  conquered  by  Barak.  At  the  time  of 
Solomon  one  of  his  twelve  purveyors  lived  there,  each  one  of 
whom  had  the  duty  of  supplying  the  palace  with  provisions 
for  a  month.  The  district  from  which  this  one  drew  his 
supplies  was  perhaps  the  most  fruitful  in  the  whole  land, 
and  included  Megiddo,  Jezreel,  and  Bethshean.  The  city 
of  Taanach  lay,  according  to  Jerome,  three  or  four  Roman 
miles  from  Legio.  Robinson  and  von  Schubert  saw  the 
place  at  a  distance ;  Wolcott  was  the  first  to  explore  it. 

From  this  place  the  last-named  traveller  advanced  to  the 
little  village  of  Ezbuba,  lying  a  half-hour  away ;  and  after 
ten  minutes  more  he  saw  Salim  with  its  olive  groves  and  its 
mosque :  it  occupies  the  site  which  Robinson  designates  as 
Lejjun,  but  which  he  did  not  visit,  contenting  himself  with 
looking  at  it  from  Zerin. 

After  fifty  minutes  more  Wolcott  reached  the  Nahr  Lejjun, 
a  stream  which  was  at  the  time  of  his  visit  five  or  six  feet 
wide,  and  which  drove  three  or  four  mills.  As  he  looked 
along  the  left  bank  of  the  stream  he  saw  at  a  distance  of  ten 
minutes  the  ruins  of  a  khan,  but  without  a  tree  or  any 
other  object  near.  Here,  Wolcott  supposed,  is  the  site  of 
the  ancient  Legio,  and  here  he  closed  his  day’s  march,  not 
without  vivid  thoughts  of  the  great  conflict  which  had  once 
been  witnessed  in  that  spot,  hard  by  the  waters  of  Megiddo, 
at  the  time  of  the  judges,  of  Sisera  and  of  Jabin.  Down  the 
waters  of  the  Kishon  the  bodies  of  Sisera’s  immense  host 
floated,  while  Deborah  sang  her  song  of  triumph.  And  in 
later  times  this  same  plain  became  the  scene  of  the  meeting 
of  king  Josiah  of  Judah  and  Pharaoh  Neclio  of  Egypt,  and 
of  the  fall  of  the  former  by  the  hand  of  a  hostile  archer 
(2  Chron.  xxxv.  20-25).  The  death  of  this  king  occasioned 
that  long  succession  of  dirges  which  were  sung  to  his  memory 
in  the  plain  of  Megiddo  by  Jeremiah,  and  by  the  successive 
poets  of  Israel. 

After  speaking  of  the  three  separate  passages  through  the 
northern  Samarian  frontier  into  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  at 


ROUTE  FROM  SEBASTE  TO  ESDRAELON.  381 


Megiddo,  Zerin,  and  Jenin,  I  take  leave  of  this  attractive 
land  of  Samaria,  and  pass  to  the  discussion  of  Galilee.  I 
cannot  close  without  alluding  to  the  value  of  the  observations 
made  by  Mr  Wolcott  for  a  future  map  of  Palestine.1 

1  The  reader  need  hardly  to  be  told  that  Van  der  Velde,  in  his 
elaborate  map,  has  adopted  this  suggestion. — Ed. 


GALILEE,.  THE  MOST  NORTHERN  DISTRICT  OE 

PALESTINE. 


CHAPTER  Y. 

INTRODUCTION. 

GALILEE,  THE  LAND  OF  THE  HEATHEN  IN  THE  CANAANITE  EPOCH — THE 
EXTENT  OF  THE  TERRITORIES  OF  ZEBULON,  ISSACHAR,  ASHER,  AND 
NAPHTALI  AT  THE  TIME  OF  JOSHUA — THE  LATER  PROVINCE  AND 
TOPARCHY  OF  GALILEE — UPPER  AND  LOWER  GALILEE  AT  THE  PERIOD 
OF  JOSEPHUS. 

HAVE  had  occasion  to  allude  elsewhere  to  the 
primitive  application  of  the  name  Galilee  to  the 
district  directly  west  of  the  waters  of  Merom 
(the  present  Lake  ITuleh),  afterwards  the  territory 
of  Naphtali,  and  of  which  Kedesh,  one  of  the  cities  appointed 
as  a  refuge  for  those  who  accidentally  committed  man¬ 
slaughter,  was  the  centre.  This  limited  use  of  the  word  was 
afterwards  widened,  and  applied  to  the  whole  country  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  Sea  of  Tiberias.  The  old  scorn  which 
rested  upon  the  Galilseans  of  Joshua’s  day,  in  consequence 
of  their  close  affiliation  with  their  heathen  neighbours,  was 
afterwards  transferred  to  all  who  bore  the  name,  partly  be¬ 
cause  they,  more  than  the  people  of  southern  Palestine, 
had  formed  more  intimate  relations  wdth  the  primitive  in¬ 
habitants  of  the  country  (Judg.  i.  27—33),  and  partly  because 
there,  as  in  Samaria,  the  Assyrians  in  the  time  of  Shal¬ 
maneser,  and  other  foreigners  at  later  times,  had  come  into 
the  land  and  mingled  and  married  freely  with  the  Israelites. 

332 


LIMITS  OF  GALILEE. 


333 


I  have  already  spoken  in  general  terms  of  the  fortunes  of 
the  northern  tribes,  and  of  the  results  of  their  relations  with 
the  Phoenicians,  so  far  as  these  results  were  felt  throughout 
northern  Galilee  and  the  tribes  which  inhabited  it.  I  have 
also  in  the  same  connection  considered  the  physical  character 
of  the  province  of  Galilee,  as  distinguished  from  Samaria  and 
J  udaea. 

Nor  are  the  special  geographical  features  of  Galilee 
wholly  unknown  to  the  reader  of  the  earlier  pages  of  this 
work ;  for  the  sea  of  the  same  name  and  its  fruitful  shores 
have  been  fully  discussed,  and  the  whole  upper  part  of  the 
Jordan  valley.  The  plan  which  I  adopt  has  rendered  it 
necessary  to  discuss  in  preceding  pages  the  physical  character 
of  the  mountainous  country  east  of  the  plain  of  Esdraelon, 
and  the  passes  of  Zer’in  (the  ancient  Jezreel)  and  of  Jenin. 

In  order  to  gain  a  complete  picture  of  the  territory  of 
Galilee,  it  remains  to  describe  the  great  plain  of  Esdraelon, 
lying  between  Jenin,  Nazareth,  Megiddo,  and  the  Carmel 
range,  and  intersected  by  the  Kishon,  and  then  to  pass  to  the 
mountain  region  lying  northward  of  it.  This  embraces  the 
country  lying  west  of  the  Jordan  valley  (which  we  have 
already  examined  in  detail),  and  the  western  slope  of  the 
mountain  range  as  it  gradually  declines  to  the  Mediterranean. 
This  shore  we  shall  then  follow  northward  till  it  merges  in  the 
coast  land  of  Phoenicia.  The  promontorium  album ,  Sur,  the 
ancient  Tyre ;  the  fruitful  plain  Merj  Ayun,  lying  between 
el-IIuleh  and  the  mountains  of  Tyre  and  Sidon ;  the  con¬ 
tiguous  southern  extremity  of  the  Lebanon  range,  running 
down  into  Belad  Besharah  ;  the  mountain  country  of  the 
Druses,  through  whose  wild  gorges  the  Litany  breaks  with  its 
mad  rush ; — all  these  combined  form  a  perfect  natural  wall 
between  ancient  Palestine,  or  more  especially  between  northern 
Galilee  and  the  ancient  Phoenicia ;  and  just  north  of  this 
great  barrier  there  rises  the  yet  more  lofty  barricade  formed  by 
the  whole  Lebanon  and  anti-Lebanon  ranges,  with  no  southern 
outlet  saving  the  narrow  gateway  which  the  Leontes  traverses, 
and  the  sloping  vale  where  the  waters  of  the  Ilasbany  find 
their  way  to  form  the  head  waters  of  the  Jordan. 


334 


PALESTINE. 


The  name  Galilee  occurs  very  early  in  the  Scriptures, 
but  its  first  application  is  widely  different  from  that  which 
comes  subsequently.  It  is  alluded  to  in  Josh.  xiii.  2,  but  the 
meaning  there  is  not  the  territory  occupied  by  the  Philistines, 
but  the  country  on  the  border 1  of  the  Philistines.  The  words 
of  the  translation,  though  literally  true,  are  yet  applied  in  a 
different  way  from  the  usual  signification  of  “  the  borders.” 
The  Galilee  hinted  at  in  this  passage  coincides  exactly,  there¬ 
fore,  with  that  which  is  named  in  Josh.  xx.  7,  xxi.  32,  where 
Kedesh  is  spoken  of  as  a  city  of  Galilee,  appointed  as  a  place 
of  refuge.  Kedesh  evidently  wTas  a  central  spot :  it  was  once 
the  residence  of  Canaanite  kings,  and  was  in  close  connection 
with  Hazor,  Merom,  Taanach,  Jokneam,  and  Carmel  (Josh, 
xii.  19-23).  The  scornful  name  of  Cabul,  with  which  Hiram 
king  of  Tyre  designated  the  twenty  Galilaean  cities  which 
wei'e  given  him  by  Solomon  (1  Kings  ix.  13),  is  not  to  be 
confounded  with  the  Cabul  which  Joshua  refers  to  inciden¬ 
tally  (Josh.  xix.  27)  as  one  of  the  cities  in  the  territory  of 
Asher.  Its  location  is  not  at  present  known.2 

The  same  uncertainty  rests  upon  the  site  of  the  twenty 
cities  which  Solomon  gave  to  Hiram.  They  were  probably 
small  and  unimportant  places,  since  none  of  them  is  men¬ 
tioned  by  name.  Many  of  them  are  probably  comprised  in 
the  list  of  cities  mentioned  in  the  second  apportionment  of 
land  among  the  four  northern  tribes  (Josh.  xix.  10-40).  Did 
we  know  the  position  of  the  sixty-nine  cities  referred  to  in 
those  four  groups,  we  should  be  able  to  follow  with  exactness 
the  boundaries  of  those  tribes,  and  to  compare  the  territory 
which  they  possessed  with  the  domain  to  which  the  name  of 
Galilee  was  applied. 

By  far  the  greater  number  of  the  places  indicated  in  the 
topographical  lists  of  Joshua  have  not  been  identified,  even 
with  all  the  painstaking  research  of  Keil,  the  most  recent 
commentator.3  Valuable  as  have  been  the  researches  of 
Robinson,  Smith,  and  others  in  Judaea  and  the  adjacent  districts 
on  the  south,  almost  no  light  has  been  thrown  on  the  historical 

1  Keil,  Comment,  zu  Josua,  p.  240. 

2  Ibid.  p.  346.  3  Ibid.  pp.  337-353. 


LIMITS  OF  GALILEE. 


335 


topography  of  northern  Galilee,  because  the  country  has  been 
little  open  to  explorers ;  and  perhaps  it  can  be  conjectured, 
that  the  speedy  loss  from  the  memory  of  the  invaders  of  the 
primitive  names  of  places,  may  indicate  the  lack  of  sufficient 
greatness,  to  give  the  people  of  the  northern  districts  equal 
historical  interest  with  those  of  the  south.  Most  of  the  names 
of  places  were  in  Joshua’s  time  probably  of  Canaanitic 
origin,  and  had  a  meaning  to  those  who  used  them ;  but 
after  the  entire  derangement  of  the  political  relations  of 
the  land,  consequent  upon  the  Israelite  invasion,  the  old 
names  wholly  perished,  leaving  no  one  to  perpetuate  their 
memory.  This  was  different  at  a  later  period,  when  the 
Byzantine  Christians  had  settled  in  Palestine  ;  indeed,  it  was 
different  in  the  Mohammedan  time,  when  the  genealogical 
spirit  of  the  Arabian  immigrants  seized  upon  the  old  names 
which  had  been  current  in  the  southern  country,  and  restored 
them  to  currency  again.  The  district  between  Safed,  north¬ 
west  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  Kedesh  and  Hunin  on  the  east, 
and  the  Litany  on  the  west,  is  even  yet  a  complete  terra 
incognita ;  for,  with  the  exception  of  Robinson’s  route  from 
Safed,  by  way  of  Bint  Jebeil  and  Tibnin,  no  thorough 
exploration  has  ever  been  made  in  modern  times  :  for 
Pococke  and  Stephen  Schulz  are  so  incorrect  in  their  names, 
as  to  be  of  little  service ;  and  unfortunately  the  discoveries 
in  this  field  of  my  honoured  friend  Dr  E.  G.  Schultz 
have  not  yet  been  placed  at  the  public  service.  Relating 
though  they  do  to  the  condition  of  Galilee,  they  would 
unquestionably  have  thrown  much  light  on  the  ancient 
topography  of  the  country.  In  the  lack  of  adequate  autho¬ 
rities,  we  must  content  ourselves  with  the  slight  materials  at 
our  command. 

The  chartographical  delineation  of  the  territories  held  by 
those  Israelite  tribes  who  settled  in  Galilee  must  be  imperfect 
in  the  best  biblical  atlases,  among  which  Kiepert’s 1  occupies 
the  first  place.  This  arises  partly  from  our  lack  of  knowledge 
about  Galilee  as  it  is,  and  partly  from  the  meagreness  of  the 
data  in  the  book  of  Joshua. 

1  Dr  Kiepert,  Bihel  Atlass ,  PI.  iii. 


336 


PALESTINE. 


In  this  book  (xix.  10-16),  the  territory  of  Zebulon,1  com¬ 
prising  twelve  cities,  is  described  according  to  its  boundaries ; 
but  these  remain  undetermined,  because  the  position  of  most 
of  the  cities  is  unknown  to  us.  For  example,  the  first- 
named  places,  Sarid  and  Maralah,  of  which  it  is  said  that 
they  a  reached  to  Dabbasheth,  and  to  the  river  that  is  before 
Jokneam,”  are  unknown  ;  and  all  we  have  to  guide  us  is  the 
probability  that  the  river  mentioned  is  the  Kishon,  since  in 
Josh.  xii.  22  Jokneam  is  said  to  be  on  Carmel.  In  this  case 
Maralah  must  be  supposed  to  be  in  that  neighbourhood ; 
but,  like  Dabbasheth,  its  precise  locality  must  remain  un¬ 
known.  We  know  that  Sarid  was  somewhere  in  the  west, 
because  we  read  that  the  line  ran  eastward  to  Chisloth-tabor. 
Mount  Tabor  plays  as  a  boundary-mark  an  important  role 
in  the  tribes  of  Zebulon  at  the  north-west,  Naphtali  at  the 
north-east,  and  Issachar  at  the  south  ;  and  it  is  probable  that 
Chisloth-tabor  was  a  place  upon  the  north-west  base  of  the 
mountain.  This  is  made  more  certain,  that  the  Daberath,  the 
next  point  in  the  border  line,  is  identical  with  the  modern 
Deburieh,  and  that  Japliia  is  to  be  seen  in  the  present  Jaffa, 
a  half-hour’s  distance  north-west  of  Nazareth.  Gath-hepher, 
or  Gittah-hepher,  the  birth-place  of  the  prophet  Jonah  (2 
Kings  xiv.  25),  appears  to  be  the  village  of  el-Mejed,  two 
hours  north-east  of  Nazareth ;  and  Eemmon  is  supposed  to  be 
Kummaneh,  two  and  a  half  hours  north  of  Nazareth.  The 
location  of  the  five  places  last  mentioned  in  the  account  of 
the  boundaries  of  Zebulon  is  entirely  unknown.  It  is  im¬ 
possible  even  to  conjecture  the  northern  boundary  of  Zebu¬ 
lon  ;  and  all  we  know  definitely  of  its  outline  is,  that  it 
began  in  the  western  part  of  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  and  ran 
north-eastward  to  Tabor.  From  that  point  its  course  extends 
indefinitely  away  among  the  mountains  of  Galilee.  The  most 
important  place  mentioned  in  the  Bible  in  connection  with 
Galilee  is  Nazareth.  Its  name,  however,  does  not  occur  in 
the  whole  Old  Testament ;  but  we  know  from  its  relation  to 
Mount  Tabor,  that  it  must  have  been  included  within  the 
territory  of  Zebulon. 

1  Keil,  Comment,  zu  Josua,  pp.  337-342. 


DOMAIN  OF  ISSACHAR  AND  ASHER. 


337 


The  domain  of  Issacliar1  (Josh.  xix.  17-24),  lying  south 
of  the  preceding,  embraced  the  remaining  portion  of  the 
plain  of  Esdraelon,  and  with  its  sixteen  cities  extended  to 
the  Jordan.  It  is  impossible,  however,  to  designate  accu¬ 
rately  its  boundaries.  They  ran,  we  are  told,  past  Jezreel, 
the  present  Zer’in,  Chesulloth,  and  Shunem.  It  appears 
probable  that  the  fine  fruitful  valley  of  Wadi  Beisan,  lying 
farther  to  the  east,  was  embraced  in  the  territory  of  Issacliar, 
although  Beth-shean  was  given  to  Manasseh  (Josh.  xvii.  11). 
Chesulloth  seems  to  have  been  the  Chosalus  of  Jerome,  the 
Xaloth  of  Josephus,  and  the  Iksal  of  the  present  day.  Shu¬ 
nem  is  probably  Salam,  two  hours  north  of  Zer’in.  West  of 
that  was  Hapharaim,  the  Aphrain  of  Jerome.  Sliihon  is 
unquestionably  the  place  of  the  same  name  which  Jerome 
found  on  the  southern  side  of  Tabor.  Almost  all  the  other 
places  named  in  Issacliar  are  unknown,  although  the  En- 
gannim  mentioned  in  ver.  21  have  been  conjectured  by 
Robinson  and  Wilson2  to  be  the  Jenin  of  the  present  day. 

The  third  tribe,  that  of  Asher3  (Josh.  xix.  24-32),  occu¬ 
pied  the  country  on  the  west  slope  of  the  Galilgean  mountain- 
land,  from  the  Carmel  range  northward  to  Tyre  and  Sidon. 
But  although  the  territories  adjacent  to  both  of  these  cities 
were  apportioned  to  Asher  by  lot,  yet  the  tribe  never  came 
into  possession  of  them  ;  in  fact,  the  whole  line  of  plain 
along  the  coast  resisted  their  attacks :  at  least  the  cities, 
although  nominally  given  to  the  Israelites,  were  always  con¬ 
sidered  as  Sidonian.  The  position  of  most  of  the  places  in 
Asher  remains  unknown  to  us  ;  and  the  few  whose  location 
has  been  determined  are  far  away  from  the  coast.  The 
Beten  of  ver.  25  is  perhaps  to  be  identified  with  the  Bathne 
of  the  Onomasticon ,  which  was  eight  Roman  miles  east  of 
the  city  Ptolemais.  The  three  cities  named  in  ver.  26  are 
known  in  their  topography ;  yet  of  the  third,  Misheal,  it  is 
said  it  reaches  to  Carmel  and  to  Shihor-libnath.  It  is  un¬ 
certain  whether  this  name  applies  to  one  of  the  coast  streams 

1  Keil,  Comment,  zu  Josua ,  pp.  342-344. 

2  Wilson,  Lands ,  etc.,  ii.  p.  84. 

3  Keil,  Comment,  p.  344. 


VOL.  IV. 


Y 


338 


PALESTINE. 


in  the  north,  or  in  the  south  near  Carmel.  The  boundary, 
then,  is  traced  to  Zebulon  ;  but  whether  a  tribe  or  city  be 
meant,  is  undetermined.  All  the  names  of  places  that  follow 
are  unknown  to  us,  till  we  come  to  Cana,  a  large  village  near 
Tyre  ;  then  follow  Tyre  and  Sidon  ;  and  the  account  closes 
with  the  unknown  names  of  Hamah  and  Hosah,  inland  cities, 
near  which  the  boundary-line  turns  southward  to  Achzib,  the 
present  ez-Jib.  The  twenty-two  villages  mentioned  without 
being  named  had  no  relation  to  the  boundary-line,  and  only 
make  the  fact  more  certain,  that  Asher  occupied  the  moun¬ 
tainous  coast-line  of  Galilee. 

Naphtali1  (Josh.  xix.  32-40).  This  district,  comprising 
nineteen  cities  and  villages,  occupies  almost  the  whole  of  the 
mountainous  region  of  Lake  Gennesaret  and  the  waters  of 
Merom.  At  the  south  it  borders  on  Issachar,  at  the  west 
on  Zebulon,  farther  north  on  Asher,  and  at  the  east  on 
u  Judah  upon  Jordan.”  By  the  last  expression  not  Judah 
proper  was  meant,  but  the  country  of  Havoth-jair,  which  was 
reckoned  as  belonging  to  Judah,  because  Jair,  the  possessor 
of  its  sixty  cities,  was  connected  with  that  tribe  (Num. 
xxxii.  41).  Since  it  is  impossible  to  determine  the  northern 
limits 2  either  of  Issachar  or  Zebulon,  the  southern  boundary 
of  Naphtali  cannot  be  designated.  From  Heleph,  whose 
location  is  unknown,  and  from  the  oak  of  Zaanannim,  which 
according  to  Judg.  iv.  11  was  near  Kedesh,  the  line  ran  by 
a  number  of  unknown  places  to  Lakum,  also  unknown,  and 
terminated  at  the  Jordan.  This  shows  that  the  northern 
boundary  of  Naphtali  ran  in  a  general  north-east  direction 
to  the  sources  of  the  sacred  river.  Kedesh,  the  city  of 
refuge,  lay  in  the  heart  of  the  country.  Aznoth-tabor  forms 
one  point  in  the  eastern  boundary ;  and  the  cities  of  Ham- 
math,  Bakkath,  Chinnereth,  and  Migdal-el,  indicate  unques¬ 
tionably  the  shore  of  Lake  Gennesaret,  for  Hammath  cannot 
be  looked  for  on  the  east  side  of  the  Orontes,  as  some  have 
thought.  Bakkath  has  been  preserved  by  the  rabbis  as  the 
name  of  a  place  near  Tiberias,  while  Migdal-el  is  unquestion¬ 
ably  the  later  Magdala.  If  the  territory  of  Naphtali  really 
1  Keil,  Comment,  p.  351.  2  Von  Raumer,  Pal.  p.  408. 


LOCALITIES  IN  GALILEE. 


339 


extended  as  far  southward  as  it  seems  to  have  done,  from  the 
fact  that  places  near  Tiberias  were  embraced  in  it,  yet  there 
is  no  doubt  it  never  extended  beyond  the  Jordan. 

Although  there  are  many  breaks  in  the  topographical 
descriptions  of  the  book  of  Joshua,  yet  it  is  not  to  the  want 
of  fulness  and  exactness  there,  as  we  have  so  often  learned, 
while  investigating  the  geography  of  southern  Palestine,  but 
to  our  own  imperfect  knowledge  regarding  the  Galilee  of  the 
present  day,  that  we  must  chiefly  attribute  our  inability  to 
follow  the  boundary-lines  designated  by  Joshua. 

Later  in  the  history  of  the  Jewish  nation,  only  special 
localities  of  the  northern  Galilman  province  are  brought  into 
distinct  sight ;  as,  for  instance,  in  the  passage  which  tells  us 
of  the  arrangements  made  during  the  reign  of  Solomon  for 
the  supply  of  the  king’s  table  from  the  produce  of  the  fertile 
plains  of  the  north  country  (1  Kings  iv.  12).  Among  the 
twelve  men  chosen  to  supervise  this  department,  wTe  read  that 
Baana  the  son  of  Ahilud  had  charge  of  Taanach,  Megiddo, 
Beth-shean,  and  Jokneam ;  Ahimaaz  had  the  jurisdiction  of 
Galilee ;  Baanali  the  son  of  Hushai  had  control  of  Asher ; 
and  Ahinadab  of  Mahanaim  (not  the  place  of  the  same  name 
on  the  east  side  of  the  Dead  Sea,  but,  as  Reland  1  conjectures, 
an  unknown  place  of  the  same  designation).  Since  Josephus 
speaks  of  a  sixth  official  of  the  same  character,  as  having 
charge  of  Xtabyrium  in  Lower  Galilee,  and  a  seventh  as 
controlling  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  neither  one  of  whom  is 
mentioned  in  the  first  book  of  Kings,  we  may  infer  that  the 
province  of  Galilee  played  a  very  important  part  in  the  duty 
of  providing  for  the  wants  of  a  luxurious  court.  At  the  time 
of  Pekah  king  of  Israel,  which  had  separated  itself  both 
religiously  and  politically  from  Judah,  the  Assyrian  king 
Tiglath-pileser  -was  very  severe  in  his  treatment  of  the 
northern  province  ;  for  we  are  told  in  2  Kings  xv.  29,  that 
u  he  took  Ijon,  and  Abel-beth-maachah,  and  Janoah  [perhaps 
Januah,  north-east  of  Acre],  and  Kedesli,  and  Hazor,2  and 
Gilead,  and  Galilee,  and  carried  them  captive  to  Assyria.” 
In  the  book  of  Judith  we  are  told  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  that 

1  Reland,  Pal.  p.  182.  2  Yon  Eaumer,  Pal.  p.  186,  Note  211a. 


340 


PALESTINE. 


he  sent  messengers  to  all  the  inhabitants  of  Damascus,  Carmel, 
and  Kedar,  also  to  those  of  Galilee  and  the  great  plain  of 
Esdraelon,  and  to  all  in  Samaria,  and  as  far  south  as  Jeru¬ 
salem.  The  venerable  Tobias,  who  in  the  time  of  Shalma¬ 
neser  wras  sent  as  a  captive  to  Nineveh,  was  one  of  the  few 
godly  men  of  the  tribe  of  Naphtali,  and  belonged  to  a  city  of 
Upper  Galilee ;  and  in  the  account  of  him  we  have  a  very 
instructive  picture  of  his  home  and  of  his  times.  The  aspect 
of  Galilee  appears  in  a  very  different  light  in  the  later 
epoch,  when  it  was  held  up  as  the  prize  for  which  the  Greek 
Seleucidse  of  Syria  and  the  Greek  Ptolemies  of  Egypt  were 
contending.  In  the  long  strife,  whose  object  wras  to  destroy 
the  last  vestiges  of  the  Jewish  name  and  fame,  to  plunder 
the  temple  and  to  pillage  the  whole  land,  the  heroic  family 
of  the  Maccabees1  arose  to  defend  the  oppressed  northern 
country,  and  to  repel  with  a  succession  of  glorious  victories 
the  attacks  of  the  oppressors.  When  in  great  danger  of 
destruction,  the  Galilseans  sent  with  all  haste  to  call  the 
Maccabees  to  their  assistance.  The  messengers  came,  were 
received,  in  token  of  their  affliction  rent  their  clothes,  and  told 
their  story.  They  said  (1  Macc.  v.  14-23)  that  the  heathen 
from  all  the  country  round,  from  Ptolemais,  Tyre,  and  Sidon, 
had  overrun  Galilee,  and  filled  the  land  with  people  who  pur¬ 
posed  nothing  else  than  the  extinguishment  of  the  name  of 
Israel.  The  glorious  defence  offered  by  Judas  Maccabseus 
and  his  brothers  is  known  to  all  readers  of  history.  The 
enemy  was  driven  from  the  land,  and  the  nation  was  pre¬ 
served.  One  thing  is  to  be  noticed — namely,  that  in  the 
account  of  the  whole  defence,  we  see  no  traces  of  the  scorn 
with  which  the  Jews  subsequently  looked  upon  the  Galilseans. 
The  Maccabees  themselves  were  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  but 
in  the  time  of  national  distress  they  did  not  hesitate  to  call 
the  Galilseans  their  brethren. 

At  a  later  period,  Josephus,  who  was  for  a  long  time 
governor  of  Galilee,  and  was  acquainted  with  the  whole 
province  to  a  degree  of  familiarity  which  no  one  before 
or  after  him  has  equalled,  and  who  in  his  official  capacity 
1  S.  Salvador,  Ges.  der  Romerherrschaft  in  Judda ,  Pt.  ii.  p.  40. 


THE  GALILEE  OF  THE  ROMANS. 


341 


was  entrusted  with  the  duty  of  defending  the  country  against 
the  Romans,  has  given  us  a  sketch  of  the  province  as  it 
existed  in  his  days.  There  were,  he  says,  two  Galilees,  an 
upper  and  a  lower,  both  of  which  were  bounded  by  Phoenicia 
and  Syria.  On  the  west  the  country  is  terminated  by 
Ptolemais  and  by  the  Carmel  range,  the  latter  of  which 
once  belonged  to  Galilee,  but  in  the  time  of  Josephus  was 
under  the  control  of  the  Tyrians.  Gaba,  the  u  city  of  horse¬ 
men,”  was  on  the  south, — so  named  because  Herod  had 
given  the  city  to  his  cavalry.  Samaria  and  the  district  of 
Scythopolis  extended  along  the  southern  boundary  as  far  as 
the  Jordan;  and  on  the  east  were  Hippene,  Gadara,  and 
Gaulonitis,  where  the  territories  of  Plerod  Agrippa  lay.  On 
the  north  the  frontier  touched  the  possessions  of  Tyre. 

Lower  Galilee,  Josephus  tells  us,  ran  from  the  Sea  of 
Tiberias  to  Zebulon,  which  was  near  Ptolemais.  In  breadth 
it  extended  from  Xaloth,  in  “  the  great  plain,” 1  to  Bersabe  ; 
while  in  length  it  reached  from  Thella,  a  place  near  the 
Jordan,  to  Meroth.  Unfortunately,  the  location  of  all  these 
places  is  unknown  to  us,  and  we  are  able  to  form  only  a 
conjectural  notion  of  the  boundaries  of  the  province.  Only 
Gaba,  the  “  city  of  horsemen,”  is  known  to  us  with  any 
degree  of  certainty  :  Peland  has  established  its  identity  with 
the  present  Haifa,2  south  of  Acco. 

The  cities  which  Josephus  caused  to  be  walled,  in  order 
to  defend  them  from  the  Romans,  are  known  to  us  only  very 
slightly,  as  no  thorough  investigations  have  yet  been  set  on 
foot  to  enable  us  to  determine  their  localities.  He  gives  their 
names  in  the  following  order:3  Jotapata,  Bersabe,  Selamin, 
Kaparreccho,  Jafa,  Sigo,  Itabyrion  (Tabor),  and  the  great 
caves  on  Lake  Gennesaret.  In  Upper  Galilee  he  mentions 
the  rocks  of  the  Achabaroi,  Seph,  Jamnith,  and  Mero. 

In  his  Life ,  where  he  repeats  the  list,  he  writes  the 
names  differently :  Jamnith  becomes  Jamnia,  Mero  becomes 

1  Reland,  Pal.  pp.  367,  1062,  624,  612,  1034,  560,  896 ;  v.  Raumer, 
Pal.  pp.  108,  125. 

2  Reland,  Pal.  pp.  769,  770  ;  v.  Raumer,  Pal.  pp.  139,  140. 

3  Joseph,  de  Bello ,  ii.  20,  ed.  Haverc.  fol.  208. 


342 


PALESTINE. 


Amerida,  Achabaroi  becomes  Cbarabe.  These  Reland  sets  in 
their  true  form — Jamnith,  Meroth,  and  Acbarabe. 

Josephus  informs  us  in  his  further  description  of  Galilee, 
that  although  the  province  was  so  extensive,  and  surrounded 
by  hostile  nations,  yet  the  inhabitants  made  a  valiant  de¬ 
fence  of  their  country,  being  a  courageous,  resolute,  and 
warlike  people.  Their  land  is  very  fertile,  rich  in  trees  and 
forests,  everywhere  under  cultivation,  densely  populated,  and 
full  of  towns  :  in  one  passage  in  his  Life  he  states  that  there 
were  two  hundred  and  four  of  these,  each  of  them  having 
at  least  15,000  inhabitants,  including  those  of  the  adjacent 
villages.  Whether  this  estimate  of  between  3,000,000  and 
4,000,000  of  souls  as  the  population  be  not  exaggerated,  I 
will  not  venture  to  decide ;  but  of  this  there  is  no  doubt, 
that  the  number  of  inhabitants  was  very  large,  and  I  do  not 
hold  Josephus’  statement  as  improbable,  that  in  Galilee  he 
could  call  together  an  army  of  a  hundred  thousand  men.1 

The  chief  interest  of  the  New  Testament  centres  at 
Nazareth,2  a  village  of  Galilee,  where  Jesus  lived,  and  silently 
cherished  the  thought  of  His  great  work  till  the  time  came  for 
Him  to  make  His  revelation  known  to  the  world.  The  lives 
of  many  of  the  apostles  also  bring  the  readers  of  the  gospel 
into  close  connection  with  Galilee.  The  repeated  journeyings 
and  wanderings  of  Jesus,  too,  have  made  the  names  of  Cana, 
Capernaum,  Caesarea,  and  many  others,  for  ever  memorable. 
The  first  Christians  were  stigmatized  by  their  enemies,  both 
Jews  and  Gentiles,  as  Galileeans,  and  continued  to  bear  that 
name  down  to  the  time  of  Marcus  Antoninus  and  Julian 
the  apostate,  the  terrible  persecutor  of  the  followers  of 
Jesus.  Isaiah’s  word  (ix.  2),  u  The  people  that  walked  in 
dai'kness  have  seen  a  great  light,”  had  a  specially  fitting 
application  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  land  which  is  called  in 
Matthew  (iv.  15,  16)  Galilee  of  the  Gentiles ;  and  Galilaea 
Gentium  remained  for  centuries,  and  even  as  late  as  to  the 
time  of  Jerome,  the  special  designation  of  the  northern  por¬ 
tion  of  the  province,  extending  from  lake  Gennesaret  to  the 
Phoenician  frontier  ;  the  origin  of  which  term  is  to  be  traced 

1  Yon  Raumer,  Pal.  Ap.  ix.  p.  430.  2  Ibid.  p.  104  et  sq, 


SOUTHERN  GALILEE. 


343 


to  the  immigration  of  people  from  beyond  the  borders.  The 
number  of  these  foreigners  and  aliens  gave  the  country  the 
name  TaXCkaia  aWocjivXwv  in  the  time  of  the  Maccabees. 
Peland  makes  this  discrimination1  between  Upper  and  Lower 
Galilee,  that  no  sycamore  trees  are  found  in  the  former, 
although  they  thrive  in  the  latter.  The  name  Sycaminos, 
applied  to  one  of  the  cities  on  the  lowlands  of  the  coast,  seems 
to  be  a  sign  of  this  physical  difference.2 

We  now  commence  our  wanderings  through  the  parts  of 
Galilee  which  have  not  yet  come  under  our  notice,  examining 
the  country  from  the  Jordan  basin  westward  to  the  Mediter¬ 
ranean  coast,  and  first  of  all  considering  the  great  plain  of 
Esdraelon,  lying  at  the  south. 

DISCURSION  I. 

THE  SOUTHERN  PORTION  OF  GALILEE — THE  GREAT  PLAIN  OF  ESDRAELON,  OR 
THE  JEZREEL  OF  THE  JEWS — THE  BROOK  OR  RIVER  ICISHON. 

The  great  plain  which  extends  from  Zer’in  at  the  south¬ 
east  to  Acco  (Ptolemais)  at  the  north-west,  the  present  Acre 
on  the  gulf  of  the  same  name,  and  from  Tabor  at  the  north¬ 
east  to  the  promontory  of  Carmel  at  the  south-west,  and 
whose  direct  breadth  is  from  the  recess  in  which  Jenin  lies 
to  the  hills  around  Nazareth,  fully  deserves  the  name  [xe<ya 
7reSlov  which  Josephus  applied  to  it ;  for  it  is  really  the 
greatest,  and  at  the  same  time  the  most  fruitful,  plain  of 
Palestine,  owing  in  large  measure  to  the  thorough  distribu¬ 
tion  in  every  part  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Kishon. 

Jezreel  is  the  name  (with  some  slight  differences  in  the 
spelling3)  given  in  the  Hebrew  writings  to  the  great  plain 
and  the  city  which  overlooked  it,  the  former  of  which  was 
the  territory  of  the  tribe  of  Issachar,  and  the  latter  the  royal 
residence  of  the  kings  of  Israel.  The  city  of  Jezreel  lay  at 
the  eastern  entrance  to  the  plain,  upon  one  of  the  low 

1  Reland,  Pal.  pp.  183,  184. 

2  Ibid.  p.  306. 

3  Winer,  Bib.  Realw.  i.  pp.  580,  581. 


344 


PALESTINE. 


western  spurs  of  the  Gilboa  mountains  ;  and  its  site  is  marked 
even  at  the  present  day  by  the  ruins  of  walls,  sepulchres, 
and  a  watch-tower.  The  name  now  given  to  the  place  by 
the  Arabs  is  Zerin ;  among  the  crusaders  it  was  known  as 
Parvum  Gerinum.  The  Greeks  gave  it  the  name  of  Esdrelom  ; 
and  in  the  middle  ages  the  designation  Stradela  came  into 
vogue,  either  from  the  number  of  highways  which  cross  it, 
or  as  a  contraction  of  the  Greek  form.  In  the  time  of  Jacob 
and  Joseph,  as  well  as  in  that  of  Gideon  (Judg.  vi.  33),  the 
plain  of  Jezreel  was  a  great  thoroughfare  for  the  caravans 
of  the  Midianite  and  Amalekite  merchants  on  their  way  to 
Egypt ;  and  in  the  time  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  the  Assyrian 
army,  under  the  leadership  of  Holofernes,  passed  by  Bethulia 
and  Dothan  (Dothain),  traversing  the  great  plain  on  their 
way  to  Jerusalem.  And  from  the  time  of  Josephus  down  to 
the  present  day,  all  the  caravans  and  all  the  armies  which 
have  passed  between  Damascus  and  Jerusalem  have  been 
compelled  to  cross  Esdraelon,  and  to  pass  Jenin  and  Zerin. 
But  regarding  this  I  have  elsewhere  fully  spoken,  and  need 
not  dwell  longer  upen  the  u  open  gate”  which  connects  the 
great  plain  on  the  east  with  the  Jordan  valley ;  making  a 
passage  so  easy  and  accessible,  that  the  height  of  the  water¬ 
shed  is  but  about  four  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea. 

There  are  three  principal  valleys  which  meet  not  far  from 
the  village  of  Zerin,  and  by  their  confluence  form  the  broad 
plain.  I  have  already  spoken  of  each,  using  the  results  of 
IIobinson’ s  researches,  who  examined  and  described  them  all. 
He  calls  them  the  three  great  arms  into  which  the  plain 
divides  on  the  east.  The  northern  one1  comes  from  Tabor: 
it  is  about  two  and  a  half  miles  in  breadth  ;  it  is  distinguished 
by  the  decided  character  of  the  hills  which  hem  it  in.  It 
begins  at  the  northern  base  of  Tabor,  runs  northward  as 
far  as  Hattin,  and  then  diverges,  a  part  forming  the  Wadi 
Bireh  and  running  down  to  the  J ordan ;  the  other  turning 
westward,  passing  the  villages  of  Murussus,  Endor,  and 
el-Fuleh,  and  forming  the  chief  channel  of  the  Kishon. 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  330. 


TRIBUTARIES  OF  THE  KISHON. 


345 


The  middle  arm1  begins  at  the  western  extremity  of  the 
Beisan  valley,  near  the  Gilboa  range,  and  close  by  the  village 
of  Zerin  and  the  Ain  Jalucl  (Goliath’s  spring),  and  runs  for 
some  distance  between  two  parallel  ridges,  the  continuation 
of  Little  Hermon  in  the  north  and  the  mountains  of  Samaria 
at  the  south,  taking  a  direction  slightly  north-west.  It  is 
called  Wadi  Jalud.2 

The  third  and  southernmost  arm  of  the  Kishon  comes3  into 
the  plain  at  Jenin  from  the  northern  mountains  of  Samaria, 
where  a  narrow  pass  allows  the  waters  of  the  southern  slope 
of  the  Gilboa  range  to  increase  the  bulk  of  those  which  flow 
from  the  Samarian  peaks,  producing  a  stream  of  considerable 
bulk.  The  wadi  or  valley  through  which  this  stream  runs 
is  about  three-quarters  of  an  hour  broad,  and  has  a  general 
north-westerly  direction.  The  mountains  which  overhang  it 
on  the  east  of  Jenin  are,  according  to  Kobinson,  more  rocky 
and  bare  than  those  which  accompany  the  other  two  arms  : 
they  run  along  close  to  the  southern  border  of  the  plain,  and 
really  form  a  part  of  the  Carmel  range,  though  they  do  not 
take  that  name.  Yet  one  can  see  the  physical  unity  of  the 
chain  which  borders  the  Kishon  basin  on  the  south,  from  the 
source  of  the  river  to  its  mouth.  West  of  Jenin  the  range 
is  less  elevated  and  less  bold4  in  its  character  than  on  the 
east  or  on  the  north,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Nazareth. 

The  lofty  ridges  which  culminate  at  Jenin  may  be  traced 
southward  through  the  mountain-land  of  Samaria  as  far  as 
to  Ebal.  As  I  have  already  spoken  at  sufficient  length  of 
the  arm  which  runs  up  to  the  north  of  Tabor,  and  of  that 
which  runs  east  to  Wadi  Beisan,  it  only  remains  that  I  should 
devote  some  attention  to  the  position  of  Jenin,  and  the 
southern  opening  into  the  hill  country. 

Djenin  or  Jenin  has  been  considered  to  be  the  En-gannim 
of  Josh.  xix.  21,  which  was  in  the  territory  of  Issachar ;  but 
the  reasons  for  believing  it  to  be  so  do  not  seem  to  me  to  be 
decisive.  The  place  is  called  Gin  sea  in  Josephus.  It  lies  at 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  319. 

2  Euseb.  de  Salle,  Peregrinations  ou  Voyages  en  Orient,  etc.,  T.  i.  p.  344. 

3  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  316.  4  Ibid.  ii.  p.  315. 


34G 


PA  LESTINE. 


the  mouth  of  a  wadi1  which,  hemmed  in  by  gentle  eminences, 
may  be  traced  far  into  the  plain.  The  place  is  a  flourishing 
one  even  now  :  it  is  veiled  from  sight  by  thick  orchards  of 
fruit  trees,  among  which  a  few  palms  are  to  be  seen  :  the 
hedges  of  the  gardens  are  cactus.  A  fine  spring  behind  the 
village  is  so  skilfully  cared  for,  that  its  waters  form  a  plea¬ 
sant  fountain  in  the  place,  and  are  distributed  through  a 
number  of  rills,  which  carry  fertility  everywhere.  Wilson 
thinks  that  the  name  En-gannim  (Ain-gannim,  spring  of  the 
garden)  is  derived  from  this  source.  The  village  contains 
at  the  present  time  about  2000  souls.2 3 

From  Jenin  most  travellers  of  the  present  day d  are  accus¬ 
tomed  to  go  northward  to  Nazareth,  whither  three  different 
routes  lead.  The  most  western  is  that  by  way  of  Ta’anuk 
and  el-Leijun,  taken  by  Wolcott  and  Barth.  The  most  direct 
and  comfortable  is  the  one  which  leads  across  the  middle  of 
the  plain,  over  which  Robinson  and  Eli  Smith  sent  their 
luggage ;  while  they  took  the  third  or  most  easterly  route, 
leading  along  the  base  of  the  Gilboa  range  and  by  way  of 
Zerin.  The  last  named  was  also  the  one  taken  by  von 
Schubert  and  Wilson.  This  one  has  already  been  made  the 
subject  of  our  careful  inquiry.  All  travellers  agree  in  testi¬ 
fying  to  the  extraordinary  fertility  of  the  country  through 
which  it  passes.  Von  Schubert4  tells  us  that  on  entering  the 
plain  his  eye  could  not  be  satisfied  with  gazing :  it  was  the 
season  of  spring,  the  air  was  most  bland  and  grateful ;  the 
blue  mountains  around  Tabor,  Gilboa,  and  Carmel,  rose  in 
stateliness,  and  the  words  of  the  eighty-ninth  Psalm  seemed 
to  be  fulfilled,  “  Tabor  and  Hermon  shall  rejoice  in  Thy 
name.”  The  plain  he  called  a  u  field  of  grain  which  no 
man’s  hand  sows,  and  which  no  man’s  hand  reaps.”  The 
different  varieties  of  grain  all  seemed  to  him  to  perpetuate 
their  own  kind,  and  that  in  so  lavish  a  way  that  the  mules 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  313  ;  Wilson,  Lands ,  etc.,  ii.  p.  84; 
v.  Schubert,  Reise ,  iii.  p.  163. 

2  Buckingham,  Trav.  in  Pal.  ii.  p.  383. 

3  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  318. 

4  Yon  Schubert,  Reise,  iii.  p.  164. 


TLAIN  OF  ESDRAELON. 


347 


who  walk  through  the  grain  seem  to  be  half-hid  from  sight. 
Notwithstanding  what  Schubert  says  about  the  corn  sowing 
its  own  seed,  Robinson  discovered  that  a  portion  of  the  plain 
was  regularly  tilled.  The  former  traveller  saw  the  herds 
of  oxen  and  flocks  of  sheep  and  goats  ranging  at  large,  and 
treading  down  more  grass  than  they  consumed.  The  wild 
boars  of  Tabor  sometimes  come  down  and  wallow  in  the  rich 
bosom  of  the  plain,  and  the  leopard  not  unfrequently  finds 
here  his  easy  prey.  Between  variegated  flowers,  many  of 
them  lilies  of  varieties  which  he  had  never  before  seen, 
Schubert  saw  the  water  of  many  almost  stagnant  brooks 
slowly  making  their  way  to  the  Kishon,  but  so  leisurely  in 
their  course,  as  to  transform  the  whole  adjacent  district  into 
swampy  ground.  The  river  itself  could  hardly  be  called  by 
that  name,  so  very  torpid  is  its  flow,  and  in  many  places  its 
waters  collected  themselves  in  basins  or  muddy  pools,  leaving 
a  thick  deposit  of  slime  when  dry.  On  the  farther  side  of  a 
soft  ford  the  way  was  very  steep  up  the  mountain  side :  on 
the  elevation  thus  attained  there  is  an  excellent  spring. 
The  way  then  is  a  short  and  pleasant  one  to  the  Convent  of 
Nazareth. 

Robinson,  who  traversed1  the  same  road,  but  at  an  advanced 
stage  of  the  summer,  found  the  bed  of  the  Ivishon,  which  in 
Deborah’s  time  was  such  a  wild  and  dashing  stream  (Judg. 
v.  21),  and  powerful  enough  to  wash  the  bodies  of  Sisei’a 
and  all  the  slain  to  the  sea,  a  dry  channel.  Still  in  the 
neighbourhood  he  discovered  patches  of  green  grass,  of  grow¬ 
ing  cotton,  and  of  grain,  which  seemed  to  his  eye  like  the 
figures  of  a  variegated  carpet.  No  trace  of  villages  was  to  be 
seen  in  the  plain,  but  on  the  heights  which  border  it  there 
maybe  descried  the  little  hamlets  of  Leijun,  Um  el  Falun, 
Ta’anuk,  Sileh,  and  others. 

On  the  northern  road  from  Zerin  through  Solam  (the 
ancient  Shunem,  the  home  of  the  Shunammite  widow  who 
befriended  Elisha  (2  Kings  iv.  8-37),  the  corn-fields  are 
more  productive  and  the  soil  more  fertile.  From  that  point 
the  way  leads  over  the  western  end  of  el-Duhy  or  Little 
1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  318. 


348 


PALESTINE. 


Hermon,  and  crosses  the  third  and  most  northern  arm  of  the 
great  plain.  It  then  passes  the  ruins  of  el-Mezraah,  the  little 
villages  of  Nain  and  Iksal,  and  then  reaches  the  mountain 
wall  which  hounds  the  plain  on  the  north.  This  is  traversed 
by  a  path  which  leads  direct  to  Nazareth,  but  the  muleteers 
avoid  it,  and  take  an  easier  but  more  circuitous  one.  The 
view  from  the  height  thus  gained  gives  a  new  impression  of 
the  beauty  of  the  plain,  and  affords  a  noble  prospect  of  the 
cone  of  Tabor.  It  is  true,  very  few  cultivated  plains  can  be 
seen  thence,  but  the  dense  grass  discloses  the  great  fertility 
which  everywhere  prevails. 

Wilson,  who  passed  through  Esdraelon  in  the  spring, 
confirms1  the  account  given  by  his  predecessors  of  the  exu¬ 
berant  fertility  of  the  soil.  He  could  not  see  a  single  tree 
over  the  whole  extent  of  the  Merj  beni  Amir,  or  meadows 
of  the  sons  of  Amir,  as  the  Arabs  call  it ;  but  all  over  the 
plain  he  could  see  barley,  wheat,  beans,  pease,  flax,  and  cotton 
growing ;  and  where  these  were  not  found,  a  rank  thick  grass 
was  universal.  A  large  part  of  the  soil  he  found  to  be  that 
black  earth  which  in  India  yields  the  finest  crops  of  cotton. 
Wilson  attributes  the  great  fertility  of  Esdraelon  to  the 
basaltic  rock  which  forms  the  basis,  and  which,  wherever 
found,  gives  when  it  crumbles  a  fine  soil.  He  tells  us  that 
the  Kishon  bears  at  present  the  name  el-Mukatta,  apparently 
the  Megiddo  of  the  past,  somewhat  changed.2  Freitag,  how¬ 
ever,  does  not  admit  that  the  modern  name  is  a  corruption 
of  the  older  word,  but  asserts  that  it  means  a  ford. 

O.  v.  Richter3  and  Buckingham4  pursued  another  route, 
running  from  Sanur  northward  to  Nazareth,  but  their  ac¬ 
count  is  very  meagre.  The  last-named  traveller  estimated 
the  breadth  of  the  plain  from  south  to  north  to  be  about  five 
hours,  and  its  length  to  be  about  eight  hours.  He  remarks 
that  the  plain,  although  so  called,  is  no  perfect  level,  but  that 
it  is  only  so  in  contrast  with  the  very  mountainous  country 

1  Wilson,  Lands ,  ii.  pp.  85,  302. 

2  Buckingham,  Trav.  in  Pal.  ii.  p.  384. 

3  0.  v.  Richter,  Wall/,  p.  57. 

4  Buckingham,  Trav.  ii.  p.  468. 


THE  GREAT  PLAIN. 


349 


which  surrounds  it,  its  own  surface  being  undulating, — a  fact 
which  makes  its  fertility  greater  than  it  would  be  were  it  an 
unbroken  plain. 

Dr  Barth1  took  a  more  westerly  route  still,  which  led  him 
from  Jenin  past  Sileh  and  Leijun.  The  last-named  place 
did  not  seem  to  him  a  true  village  :  he  could  not  find  that 
more  than  a  half-dozen  people  were  living  there.  Their 
occupation  was  to  superintend  the  mills,  which  were  set  in 
motion  by  a  small  tributary  of  the  Kish  on  flowing  in  from  the 
Carmel  range.  On  the  banks  of  this  stream  Barth  saw  the  ruins 
of  an  ancient  city,  but  such  relics  were  especially  numerous 
at  the  foot  of  a  rock  called  the  Ras  el  Ain,  where  a  fine  spring 
emerges  from  the  earth.  This  he  thought  to  be  the  waters 
of  Megiddo,  and  the  ruins  to  be  the  ancient  city  of  that 
name.  The  walls  were  too  far  destroyed  to  afford  many 
interesting  observations,  yet  they  seemed  to  him  to  be  the 
relics  of  mere  dwelling-houses  of  no  remarkable  pretensions. 
The  grass  around  them  was  too  rank  to  enable  one  to  form 
a  very  correct  judgment  without  making  excavations.  The 
most  remarkable  feature  was  the  rock-hewn  chambers  exca¬ 
vated  in  both  sides  of  Ras  el  Ain.  Of  the  good  Khan 
Leijun  which  Maundrell2  praised  in  1697  as  one  of  the  best 
on  the  road  from  Egypt  to  Damascus,  there  remain  only  the 
ruins  in  the  form  of  a  square. 

Wolcott  visited  the  same  ruins  subsequently,  and  held  the 
place  to  be  the  site  of  the  ancient  Legio.  He  as  well  as  von 
Wildenbruch3  declare  the  place  to  be  the  ruins  of  a  city  of 
some  importance,  and  the  hill  on  which  it  stood  bears  marks  of 
being  once  terraced  with  some  skill.  He  observed  two  or  three 
limestone  pillars  very  much  worn  by  the  hand  of  time  ;  also 
a  building  with  polished  granite  shafts  still  standing,  between 
which  there  were  limestone  ones.  The  finest  of  these  struc¬ 
tures  stood  near  the  south-west  corner  of  the  ruins,  near  the 
brook,  and  was  characterized  by  two  marble  pillars  with 

1  Dr  Barth,  MS.  communication. 

2  Maundrell,  Journ.  March  22,  p.  57. 

3  Yon  Wildenbruch,  Reiseroute  in  Surien,  in  Berliner  Monatsb.  der  aeon. 

Ges.  Pt.  i.  p.  253. 


350 


PALESTINE. 


Corinthian  capitals.  Wolcott  saw  also  an  arched  gateway, 
which,  like  the  houses,  was  decorated  with  pillars  of  various 
patterns.  Passing  over  the  stream  by  a  small  bridge,  he  found 
the  remains  of  the  khan,  built  evidently  in  the  Saracenic  style, 
and  surrounded  by  six  or  eight  arches.  On  one  side  is  a  tower 
forty  feet  high,  ascended  by  a  staircase  inside.  From  it  he 
took  a  number  of  measurements1  with  his  compass.  But  I  will 
not  cite  them  here,  nor  enter  into  a  consideration  of  the  data 
which  have  been  collected  in  order  to  determine  the  position2 
of  the  ancient  Megiddo,  and  whether  Leijun,  i.e.  Legio, 
occupies  its  site.  That  question,  regarding  which  the  learned 
investigations  of  Robinson  and  von  Raumer3  have  led  to 
exactly  opposite  conclusions,  derives  its  chief  difficulty  from 
the  varying  statements  regarding  distances  to  be  found  in  the 
itineraries  of  various  widely-separated  epochs.  These  state¬ 
ments  it  is  almost  impossible  to  apply  to  a  place  as  little  fixed 
as  a  military  position  generally  is.  From  the  time  of  the  old 
Syrian  colony  of  Hadad-rimmon,  when,  according  to  Zech. 
xii.  11,  there  was  great  mourning  in  the  plain  of  Megiddon, 
down  to  the  time  when  the  bishops  of  Maximianopolis  entered 
their  signatures  at  Nicaea  and  Jerusalem,  there  might  have 
been  great  changes  in  the  location  of  a  place  whose  mission 
was  to  guard  a  mountain  pass.4  That  the  old  name  might 
easily  be  changed  to  that  of  the  Legions  of  the  Roman 
army  that  guarded  it,  is  easily  understood  from  the  modern 
origin  of  the  name  given  to  the  entire  plain,  Merj  beni 
Amer,  unquestionably  recording  the  fact  that  a  tribe  of 
Arabs  known  as  the  Beni  Amer5  once  held  possession  of 
Esdraelon.6 

Before  leaving  this  fruitful  but  neglected  region,  let  me 
devote  a  few  words  to  the  river  Kishon,  which  traverses  the 

1  Wolcott,  in  Bib.  Sacra,  1843,  p.  78. 

2  Reland,  Pal.  sub  Legio ,  Maximianopolis ,  Megiddo ,  pp.  873,  891,  893. 

3  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  329  et  sq.  ;  Bib.  Sacra ,  ii.  p.  220 ; 
von  Raumer,  Pal.  p.  402  et  sq. 

4  Maundrell,  Journey ,  etc.,  p.  57. 

5  Dr  Barth,  ms.  Reise. 

6  Wilson,  Lands ,  etc.,  ii.  p.  86,  Note ;  Winer,  Bib.  Realw.  i.  p.  452. 


THE  KISHON. 


351 


plain  and  terminates  in  the  Bay  of  Acre  or  Akka.  This  is 
the  stream  regarding  which  it  is  written,  after  Barak  and 
Deborah  had  gained  their  victory  over  Sisera,  u  The  river 
of  Kishon  swept  them  away,  that  ancient  river,  the  river 
Kishon.  O  my  soul,  thou  hast  trodden  down  strength.” 
Although  it  is  now  no  insignificant  stream,  yet  it  needs  heavy 
rains  to  make  it  really  considerable  in  magnitude  :  it  is  very 
unequal  in  size,  and  seems  to  be  only  temporary  in  its  character. 
At  any  rate,  when  Robinson  passed  its  head  waters  in  mid¬ 
summer,  he  found  the  channels  all  dry,  and  they  had  been 
so  for  a  whole  year.  On  the  other  hand,  in  the  winter  the 
waters  are  often  exceedingly  abundant,  particularly  in  the 
northern  and  southern  chief  tributaries;  so  that  in  1799,  at 
the  time  of  the  French  invasion,  many  of  the  vanquished 
Turks  perished  in  the  floods  which  swept  down  from  De- 
burieh,  and  which  inundated  the  plain.  It  was  a  scene  like 
that  described  in  Judg.  v.  regarding  the  fate  of  Sisera’s 
hosts.  The  streams  which  run  in  from  the  Carmel  seem 
to  bring  important  accessions  of  water  ;  and  hence  the  little 
lakes  and  the  swamp  land  which  travellers  frequently  notice 
on  the  south  side.  Yon  Wildenbruch,1  who  went  from  the 
Khan  Leijun  and  the  ruins  there  across  the  bed  of  the 
Kishon,  probably  in  the  summer,  speaks  of  it  being  dry 
even  there.  The  Onomasticon  calls  it  a  11  winter  stream” 
( Xet/xappo'i )  :  its  three  head  tributaries — those  of  Jenin, 
Gilboa,  and  Tabor,  of  which  the  last  is  the  longest — may 
indeed  sometimes  supply  no  water,  but  it  is  very  rare  that 
the  lower  course  of  the  river  is  entirely  dry.  Schubert 
found  it  forty  feet  wide  in  its  middle  course,  and  Monro 
crossed  it  lower  down  and  near  the  mouth,  where  it  was 
thirty  yards  across.  Whether  the  waters  of  the  fine  spring 
of  Leijun  (Megiddo)  reach  the  Kishon  channel  the  whole 
year  through,  is  an  unsettled  question. 

1  Yon  Wildenbruch,  as  above,  p.  233. 


352 


PALESTINE. 


DISCURSION  II. 

THE  MOUNTAIN  RANGE  AND  PROMONTORY  OF  CARMEL. 

Carmel  is  first  mentioned  in  Josh.  xix.  26  as  a  part  of 
the  southern  boundary  of  the  territory  of  Asher ;  but,  at  the 
same  time,  in  ver.  11  it  is  spoken  of  in  connection  with  the 
frontier  of  Zebulun,1  and  seems  to  have  a  relation  to  the 
domain  of  three  tribes,  equally  important  with  that  sustained 
by  Tabor  at  the  north-east.  Its  name,  which  in  the  Hebrew 
signifies  “  a  fertile  field,”  is  used  by  Isaiah,  like  that  of  Le¬ 
banon  and  Sharon,  to  typify  the  future  glory  of  Israel,  wThen 
the  waste  places  should  put  on  beauty  (xxxv.  2)  :  “It  shall 
blossom  abundantly,  and  rejoice  even  with  joy  and  singing : 
the  glory  of  Lebanon  shall  be  given  unto  it,  the  excellency  of 
Carmel  and  Sharon.”  The  sublimity,  and  at  the  same  time 
the  beauty,  of  Carmel  furnishes  Solomon  with  an  illustration 
of  the  beauty  of  the  head  of  his  bride  (Song  of  Sol.  vii.  5)  : 
“  Thine  head  upon  thee  is  like  Carmel.”  The  prophet 
Jeremiah  introduces  the  same  name  in  his  promises  to  the 
Jews  when  in  captivity,  to  return  to  Jerusalem  if  they  should 
hold  fast  to  Jehovah.  Isaiah  refers  to  it  to  picture  the  fallen 
estate  of  Israel  (xxxiii.  9) :  “  Bashan  and  Carmel  shake  off 
their  fruits;”  and  Amos,  in  announcing  the  judgments  of  God 
upon  His  people  (i.  2),  says,  “  The  Lord  will  roar  from  Zion, 
and  the  top  of  Carmel  shall  wither.” 

But  it  was  not  for  beauty  and  fertility  alone  that  Carmel 
was  celebrated  :  it  had  a  reputation  for  sanctity;  it  was  con¬ 
sidered  a  holy  mountain,  an  altar  of  Jehovah,  as  well  as  a 
place  where  Baal  might  be  worshipped.  The  latter  notion 
was  especially  prevalent  during  the  reign  of  Aliab,  who  had 
married  Jezebel,  a  Sidonian  princess,  and  had  introduced  the 
Phoenician  worship  upon  Carmel,  building  an  altar  to  Baal 
there,  and  consecrating  a  grove  to  his  honour.  The  whole 
account  is  familiar  to  the  reader  of  Elijah’s  history,  and  may 
be  found  in  1  Kings  xvi.  32,  33,  xviii.  19-46,  in  which  the 
relation  of  the  Israelite  worship  and  that  of  the  Phoenicians 
1  Keil,  Comment,  zu  Josua ,  p.  345. 


MOUNT  CARMEN 


353 


is  brought  into  the  most  marked  contrast,  and  the  prominence 
of  Carmel  as  the  scene  is  brought  into  powerful  relief.  The 
whole  is  most  vividly  brought  before  us,  and  affords  a  fine 
view  of  the  times  in  which  it  occurred.  It  is  plain  that 
Carmel  was  regarded  by  both  classes  of  worshippers  as  a 
place  of  special  sanctity ;  and  it  appears  that  at  a  very  early 
period  the  Phoenicians  had  come  thither  to  worship  Baal,  just 
as  Abraham  went  up  into  Moriah, — just  as  David  sought  the 
high  threshing-floor  of  Araunah  as  the  place  for  his  altar, — 
just  as  Moses  once,  and  Elijah  at  a  much  later  time,  went 
up  into  Sinai  and  Horeb  (1  Kings  xix.  8).  At  the  time 
of  Deborah,  Tabor  was  a  sacred  mountain  (Judg.  iv.  6,  12)  ; 
when  Samuel  lived,  the  heights  of  Mizpeh  were  sought  as 
a  place  of  worship  and  confession.  And  Jehovah  himself 
dwelt  upon  Carmel,  as  we  are  told  in  the  impressive  words 
of  Micah  vii.  14. 

Although  this  attributing  of  holiness  to  the  sacred  moun¬ 
tains  gradually  disappears  in  the  Hebrew  history,  and  only 
manifests  itself  occasionally  in  its  poetry, — as,  for  instance,  in 
Ps.  lxviii.  16,  “This  is  the  hill  which  God  desireth  to  dwell 
in  ;  yea,  the  Lord  will  dwell  in  it  for  ever,”  and  in  the  allusions 
to  Ilermon,  Lebanon,  Horeb,  etc., — yet  the  fine  wood-crowned 
range  of  Carmel  was  a  place  of  lasting  sanctity  among  even 
the  Gentile  nations.  Scylax  of  Karyanda,  in  his  Periplus, 
calls  Carmel  a  shrine  of  Zeus  even  in  Greek  eyes.  Tacitus 
says  that  it  received  the  same  veneration  which  was  paid  to 
God  ;  just  as  Mount  Casius,  according  to  Mover’s,1  had  neither 
temple  nor  statue,  yet  had  an  altar  standing  upon  it,  and 
received  great  reverence.  Tacitus  informs  us  also,  that  on 
Carmel  was  an  oracle  of  wronderful  wisdom,  whose  priests 
once  assured  Vespasian  that  he  should  become  the  master  of 
the  world  ;  and  Suetonius  confirms  the  account  of  the  great 
authority  possessed  by  the  oracle  of  Carmel.  Jamblicus,  in 
his  Life  of  Pythagoras,  tells  us  that  the  latter  spent  some  time 
on  Carmel  in  contemplation,  because  that  mountain  was  con¬ 
sidered  especially  sacred.  Movers,  who  has  specially  investi¬ 
gated  the  Phoenician  history,  informs  us  that  that  nation  did 
1  Movers,  Phonizier,  Pfc.  i.  p.  G70. 


VOL.  IV. 


Z 


354 


PALESTINE. 


not  believe  that  any  particular  Numen  dwelt  on  Carmel,  but 
rather  that  the  Divine  Nature  (what  Scylax  meant  by  Zeus) 
which  manifests  itself  in  the  phenomena  of  the  outward  world 
made  Carmel  his  favoured  seat.  This  is  confirmed  by  the 
story  of  Elijah  and  the  priests  of  Baal,  and  their  appeals  to 
their  respective  deities. 

In  modern  times,  the  name  of  Carmel,  applied  physically 
to  the  range  which  bounds  the  great  plain  of  Jezreel  on  the 
south,  extending  from  Jenin  north-westward  to  Haifa,1  has 
generally  been  used  to  designate  the  lofty  promontory  which 
runs  eastward  into  the  Mediterranean  close  by  the  mouth 
of  the  Kishon.  With  even  that  limited  part  of  the  whole 
range,  however,  we  are  not  familiarly  acquainted ;  and  what 
knowledge  wre  have  is  owing  to  the  fact  that  two  important 
passes  exist  there, — that  of  Megiddo  and  Leijun,  and  that 
of  Haifa,  close  by  the  sea.  The  time  is  not  yet  come  when 
it  is  possible  to  make  any  thorough  exploration  of  the  Carmel 
range.  The  perils  of  passing  through  it  are  too  great,  for 
now,  as  at  Strabo’s  time,  the  whole  ridge  is  the  favourite 
resort  of  robbers  :  its  limestone  caverns,2  which  are  many 
hundreds  in  number,  are  even  now  inaccessible  to  civilised 
travellers,  owing  to  the  refuge  which  they  afford  to  savage 
Beduins,  The  words  of  Amos  ix.  3,  u  And  though  they 
hide  themselves  in  the  top  of  Carmel,  I  will  search  and  take 
them  out  thence,”  are  perfectly  intelligible  even  to-day  ;  and 
the  multiplicity  of  those  hiding-places  has  exercised  an  in¬ 
fluence  on  the  history  of  the  vdiole  land  up  to  the  present 
time. 

About  the  eastern  Carmel  pass  at  Megiddo,  wTe  have  no 
fuller  accounts  than  those  given  by  Barth  3  and  llussegger. 
The  former  intended  to  pass  directly  across  the  ridge 
Leijun  to  Caesarea,  but  lost  his  vray,  and  has  given  us  con¬ 
sequently  a  brief  and  unsatisfactory  narrative.  His  ascent 
was  made  in  a  fewr  minutes,  and,  crossing  the  chain,  he 
pursued  a  circuitous  path  to  the  sea-coast,  crossing  a  region 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  362  et  seep 

2  0.  v.  Richter,  Wall f.  i.a.l.  p.  65. 

8  Eartb,  ms.  Reise. 


MOUNT  CARMEL. 


355 


not  remarkable  for  beauty,  but  well  watered,  and  abounding 
in  fertile  land.  The  only  two  places  of  any  importance 
which  he  passed  were  Chobaese  and  Sendiyane.  He  dis¬ 
covered,  however,  the  ruins  of  a  fine  old  castle  on  the  way; 
to  which  he  could  find  no  name  attached. 

The  westerly  pass,  or  that  which  leads  from  Haifa  around 
the  base 1  of  the  promontory  of  Carmel,  has  been  much 
oftener  taken;  and  many  travellers  have  given  us  accounts 
of  it,  as  well  as  of  their  visits  to  the  convent  which  stands  on 
the  promontory,  and  which  is  reached  from  this  road ;  but  no 
one  has  ever  extended  his  inquiries  into  the  character  of  the 
inland  district.  Most  travellers  leave  Acre  2  at  the  north, 
and  follow  the  path  which  leads  along  the  sea-side,  from 
which  there  is  a  very  fine  view  of  Carmel,  which,  seen 
hence,  justifies  the  words  of  Jeremiah  :  u  As  Tabor  is  among 
the  mountains,  and  as  Carmel  by  the  sea.”  Seen,  too,  from 
the  sea,  it  is  a  majestic  object,  and  always  awakens  great 
interest. 

Russegger,3  who  explored  the  whole  country  with  the  care¬ 
ful  and  practised  eye  of  a  geologist,  tells  us  that  this  coast- 
land  over  which  the  western  route  runs  is  largely  arable, 
and  different  in  character  from  the  Jura  limestone  of  the 
mountains  of  Samaria  and  Galilee.  The  soil  is  mostly  of 
an  alluvial  character,  and  it  is  only  upon  reaching  the  base 
of  the  hills  that  stones  begin  to  appear.  There  are,  it  is  true, 
singular  masses  of  a  rock-shaped  appearance,  which  in  more 
superstitious  times  were  supposed  to  be  melons,  gourds,  and 
the  like,  turned  to  stone  by  the  curse  of  God ;  but  they  are 
now  found  to  consist  of  animal  petrifactions,  bound  together 
by  a  kind  of  limestone  cement.  On  leaving  this  alluvial  and 
mixed  formation,  containing  some  flint  and  crystals,  with 
its  other  component  parts,  and  ascending  the  mountains,  the 
traveller  is  at  once  introduced  to  the  jurassic  limestone,  and 
to  the  fine  dolomite  which  compose  almost  exclusively  the 
mountains  of  Palestine.  On  the  north  side  of  the  Carmel 

1  Nautical  Mag.  1841,  p.  1. 

2  D’Arvieux,  ii.  p.  9  ;  v.  Prokcsch,  Reise,  p.  24. 

3  Russegger,  Reise,  iii.  p.  257. 


358 


PALESTINE. 


re-erect  the  convent.  He  hastened  back  to  Carmel ;  and  on 
the  ruins  of  the  perished  one  he  drew  up  a  plan  of  a  new, 
spacious,  and  elegant  structure,  the  expense  of  erecting 
which  would  be  not  less  than  350,000  francs.  He  had  no 
means  of  raising  this  great  sum,  and  began  immediately  to 
devise  plans  for  its  being  done.  Between  Carmel  and 
Nazareth  he  discovered,  either  on  the  Ivishon  or  on  one  of 
its  tributaries,  two  unused  mill  privileges  which  he  believed 
to  be  valuable,  and  which  he  thought,  if  he  could  get  posses¬ 
sion  of  them  for  a  small  sum,  might  be  turned  to  very  profit¬ 
able  account.  But  they  were  owned  by  a  Druse,  who,  out 
of  his  hatred  to  Christians,  refused  to  sell  them  for  any  price. 
Nothing  daunted,  Baptista  sought  the  friendly  intercession 
of  a  Turk  whom  he  had  formerly  known,  and  borrowed  of 
him  nine  thousand  francs,  payable  without  interest,  and  to 
be  refunded  out  of  the  profits  of  the  mills  if  they  could  be 
hired.  This  was  accomplished ;  the  Druse  received  as  his 
share  a  third  of  the  profits,  another  third  went  to  repay  the 
Turk,  the  third  remained  to  Baptista.  Such  was  the  success 
of  the  good  man’s  plan,  that  in  twelve  years  the  9000  francs 
loan  was  paid,  and  a  good  beginning  was  made.  He  then 
ventured  to  lay  the  foundation  of  the  convent.  His  next 
step  was  to  spend  a  half-year  in  making  a  tour  through  Asia 
Minor,  Egypt,  the  Archipelago,  and  to  Constantinople,  which 
brought  him  in  20,000  francs.  This  sum  was  soon  consumed, 
however,  and  then  at  the  age  of  sixty  the  indefatigable  man 
began  to  make  the  tour  of  Europe.  The  building  had  then 
so  far  progressed,  that  many  distinguished  men — among  them 
Lamartine,  etc. — had  been  entertained  at  the  Hospitium, 
without  any  expense  to  themselves.  The  introduction  of 
steamship  navigation  had  made  it  necessary  even  then  to 
found  the  institution,  in  order  to  provide  for  the  wants  of 
the  increasing  number  of  travellers.  The  venerable  man 
visited  Vienna,  London,  Paris,  and  Berlin  :  he  presented 
his  suit  at  the  courts  of  princes,  and  at  length  had  the 
satisfaction  of  seeing  his  work  crowned  with  ample  success. 

Schubert  praises  very  highly  the  orderly  arrangement  of 
the  institution,  and  compares  it  with  the  Convent  of  Banz 


MOUNT  CARMEL. 


359 


on  tlie  Main.  The  elegance  of  the  apartments,  the  size  of 
the  halls,  the  imposing  beauty  of  the  view  from  the  windows 
— embracing  the  Lebanon  and  the  whole  northern  coast,  Acre 
seeming  to  be  close  at  hand,  and  the  fertile  valley  of  the 
Kishon  lying  still  nearer,  while  the  blue  Mediterranean  ex¬ 
tends  far  away  to  the  west, — the  innumerable  variety  of  plants 
which  grow  all  around,  the  clear  and  delicious  waters,  the 
neatness  and  orderly  management  of  the  house, — all  made  a 
very  deep  impression  on  the  mind  of  von  Schubert.  These 
all  prove  an  alluring  feast  to  strangers,  and  the  convent  does 
not  lack  for  guests. 

The  flora  of  Carmel  is  remarkable  for  its  profuseness, 
because  it  embraces  all  the  products  of  such  a  valley  as 
Esdraelon,  and  all  those  of  a  mountain  ridge.  The  number 
of  insects  is  so  great,  too,  that  a  year  might  be  spent  there 
in  collecting  them,  and  yet  the  field  not  be  exhausted.  The 
new  convent  lies,  according  to  the  measurements  of  von 
Schubert,  five  hundred  and  eighty  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
sea,  and  stands  on  a  bluff  projecting  from  the  north-west 
side  of  the  Carmel  promontory,  which  at  its  highest  point 
is  about  1200  feet  in  elevation.  I  have  already  alluded  to 
the  extensive  and  charming  view  which  is  gained  from  it. 

Near  the  convent  is  an  attractive  edifice  erected  by  Ibrahim 
Pasha,  and  given  by  him  to  the  Carmelite  monks,  to  serve  as 
an  hospital  for  the  sick,  and  as  a  place  of  accommodation  for 
pilgrims.  In  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the  buildings 
are  gardens,  trees,  and  vineyards.  From  Carmel  to  Nazareth 
is  a  journey  of  little  less  than  ten  hours. 

DISCUltSION  III. 

THE  BAY  OF  ACRE  AND  THE  PORTS  OF  HAIFA  (hEPIIa)  AND  AKO  (aICKO,  ST 
JEAN  D’ACRE),  OR  PTOLEMAIS. 

Amonff  the  better  known  of  the  coast  towns  which  lie 

O 

near  the  opening  of  the  plain  of  Esdraelon  at  the  sea,  are 
Haifa  and  Akka ;  and  among  the  more  important  localities 
among  the  mountains  of  southern  Galilee  are  Nazareth, 


360 


PALESTINE. 


Sefurieh,  and  Kefr  Kenna,  and  the  places  in  their  neigh¬ 
bourhood.  With  these  places  it  is  important  to  gain  a  certain 
preparatory  acquaintance,  before  we  enter  the  labyrinthine 
maze  of  Northern  Galilee,  and  seek  to  penetrate  the  few 
regions  which  have  been  opened  there  to  the  knowledge  of 
the  world. 

1.  Haifa ,  Kliaifa  ( CaypJias ),  Ilepha ,  Kepha  of  the 
Hebrews ,  Sycaminos. 

Of  this  place,  the  ancient  Hepha  or  Kepha,  Beland1 
has  no  further  account  than  that,  situated  at  the  foot  of 
Carmel,  it  was  afterwards  called  by  the  names  Caiphas, 
Sycaminos,  Porpliyreon,  and  Gabe.2  At  the  time  of  Edrisi3 
(the  twelfth  century)  it  must  have  been  a  large  and  flourishing 
place,  and  the  harbour  appears  to  have  been  superior  to  what 
it  is  at  the  present  time,  since  large  ships  are  said  to  have 
lain  safely  at  anchor  there.  According  to  the  accounts  of 
Jerome  and  Eusebius,4  the  place  stands  on  or  near  the  site 
of  the  ancient  Sycaminos ;  but  William  of  Tyre  disputes  this, 
and  states  it  was  the  location  of  the  ancient  Porphyrion,  in 
which  he  is  unquestionably  wrong,  that  place  having  been 
situated  north  of  Sidon.  Wilson  inclines  to  the  opinion  that 
Haifa  occupies  the  site  of  the  old  Mutatio  Calamon.  This 
would  locate  Sycaminos  where  the  ruins  now  stand,  which 
are  seen  north-west  of  the  present  town.  These  ruins 
are  not  at  all  remarkable  in  their  appearance :  they  have 
never  been  carefully  explored;  and  the  sand  which  has  blown 
up  from  the  sea-shore  has,  in  fact,  nearly  hidden  them  from 
observation. 

The  present  town  is  supposed  to  contain  a  population  of 
about  3000  souls,  mostly  Turks  from  Barbary :  a  tenth  part  of 
the  whole,  however,  are  Catholics,  a  few  are  Greeks,  and  about 
ten  families  are  J ews.  The  country  immediately  around  Haifa 

1  Yon  Raumer,  Pal.  p.  139. 

2  Comp.  v.  Schubert,  Reise,  iii.  p.  208 ;  Irby  and  Mangles,  p.  193 ; 
Bove,  p.  386. 

3  Edrisi,  in  Jaubert,  i.  p.  348. 

4  Euseb.  de  Salle,  Peregrinations ,  etc.,  i.  p.  396. 


AKO  OR  ACRE. 


3G1 


is  not  especially  attractive :  a  few  bold  bluffs  rise  in  the  south, 
and  a  few  olive  and  fruit  trees  are  to  be  seen.  The  glory  of 
the  place,  however,  as  it  was  in  Edrisi’s  time,  is  all  past.  The 
Bay  of  Acre  is  one  of  the  most  dangerous  places  on  the  whole 
coast  for  a  ship  to  anchor  in  a  time  of  storm.  The  bottom  is 
of  fine  sand,  and  the  effect  of  powerful  west  winds  may  be 
seen  in  the  great  dunes  which  line  the  shore.  Yet  the  south 
side  of  the  Bay  of  Acre  is  safer  than  the  north  side ;  and  this 
fact  gives  Haifa  a  certain  degree  of  importance,  and  consuls 
of  most  of  the  leading  European  governments  are  stationed 
there.  Fishermen  may  be  seen  there  plying  their  trade 
without  any  boats,  merely  wading  out  into  the  water  like  the 
Indian  fishermen,  and  then  casting  their  nets.  They  are 
said  to  be  successful,  however,  notwithstanding  their  rude 
method.  The  place  is  surrounded  on  the  land  side  with 
wralls  and  towers :  there  are,  however,  but  two  gates. 

2.  Ako,  Acre,  Ptolemais. 

Ako — Akko  of  the  Greeks  and  Homans,  Ptolemais,  Accon 
of  the  crusaders,  St  Jean  d’Acre  of  the  Knights  of  St  John, 
Tholemais  of  William  of  Tyre — is  a  place  of  humble  preten¬ 
sions  in  its  commencement,  and  of  low  estate  at  the  present 
day,  but  has  been  a  city  of  such  importance  and  splendour, 
and  has  exercised  such  an  influence  on  the  whole  of  Christen¬ 
dom,  that  the  destruction  of  it  produced  terror  all  over 
Europe ;  for,  with  its  fall  in  1291,  the  power  of  the  Christian 
nations  of  the  West  lost  its  last  hold  upon  the  East. 

The  first  mention  of  the  place  seems  to  be  in  Judg.  i.  31 : 
u  Neither  did  Asher  drive  out  the  inhabitants  of  Accho,  nor 
the  inhabitants  of  Zidon,”  etc.  In  Josh.  xix.  24-31,  however, 
where  the  statement  is  made  of  the  territorial  limits  of  the 
tribe  of  Asher,  Ako  or  Accho  is  not  alluded  to.  In  the  time 
of  Shalmaneser,  Ako  stood  in  a  certain  dependent  relation  to 
Tyre.  The  name  of  the  place  has  been  very  variously  ex¬ 
plained,1  and  the  etymologies  put  upon  it  differ  widely.  It  is 
safe  to  say  that  the  question  is  not  yet2  satisfactorily  settled. 

1  Ilitzig,  Die  Philistder ,  pp.  138-142. 

2  Steplj.  Byz.  Ethnicorum,  ed.  Meineke,  p.  59. 


3G2 


PALESTINE. 


Scylax  in  his  Periplus  calls  the  place  '’A/ crj  7 roTu?;  Strabo, 
however,  speaks  of  it  under  the  name  of  Ptolemais,  remark¬ 
ing  that  previously  it  had  been  designated  as  Aka.  Pliny 
fully  corroborates  the  account  of  Strabo.  Steph.  Byz.  makes 
the  additional  statement  that  it  was  a  Phoenician  city;  and 
others,  in  speaking  of  the  name  of  the  place,  have  asserted 
that  the  name  Ake  or  Aka  was  originally  applied  only  to  the 
citadel,  hut  was  afterwards  transferred  to  the  entire  place. 
The  name  Ptolemais  it  probably  owes  to  an  extension  of 
the  ancient  Ako  by  the  first  of  the  Ptolemies,  who  was  for 
a  considerable  time  the  master  of  Coel e-Syria.  Diodorus, 
Nepos,  and  others,  agree  with  Strabo  in  the  assertion  that 
the  harbour  of  Ptolemais  was  formerly  of  great  service  to 
the  Persian  armies  at  the  times  of  the  expeditions  against 
Dgypt. 

Josephus  gives  the  location  of  the  place  with  great  exact¬ 
ness,  as  on  the  sea  border  of  Galilee,  standing  in  a  great  plain 
surrounded  by  mountains,  one  hundred  and  twent}^  stadia 
north  of  Carmel,  and  a  hundred  stadia  south  of  Scala  Tyr- 
orum.  Two  stadia  from  the  city  was  the  river  Belus,  on 
whose  banks  stood  a  statue  of  Memnon.  The  sands  which 
compose  these  banks  Josephus  speaks  of  as  admirably  adapted 
to  the  manufacture  of  glass.  During  the  long-protracted 
wars  between  the  Syrians  and  the  Egyptians,  Ptolemais  played 
a  very  important  part,  and  was  successively1  the  object  and 
the  prize  of  both.  Josephus  speaks  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
place  as  not  well  inclined  towards  the  Galilmans. 

The  account  of  Pliny,  that  the  city  was  held  by  a  Koman 
colony  at  the  time  of  the  Emperor  Claudius,  is  confirmed  by 
the  coins  of  that  ruler’s  reign,  as  well  as  those  of  Trajan 
and  Hadrian,  among  which  are  some  which  bear  the  impres¬ 
sion  of  a  rock  standing  near  the  waves  of  the  sea,  houses 
standing  close  by,  three  corn-ears,  at  the  side  as  a  sign  of 
fertility,  and  at  the  bottom  the  river  god  Belus  with  out¬ 
stretched  hands. 

Ptolemais  is  mentioned  in  the  history  of  the  apostles 
(Acts  xxi.  7).  Later  it  became  the  seat  of  a  Christian 
1  Comp.  Strabon .  traduct.  fr.  Paris,  T.  v.  p.  224,  Note. 


AKO  OR  ACRE. 


3G3 


bishopric.  The  harbour — which,  at  the  time  when  the  fame 
of  the  city  was  at  its  height,  extended  even  into  the  city,1  huge 
excavations  having  been  made  for  that  purpose,  ensuring 
safety  to  the  ships  which  visited  the  place — made  the  port 
the  most  desirable  one  on  the  coast  for  Christian  pilgrims  to 
land  at.  Edrisi2  was  able  to  say  with  perfect  correctness, 
that  the  city  comprised  a  harbour  within  itself.  This,  how¬ 
ever,  could  not  be  permanent,  as  the  wash  of  sand  at  length 
removed  every  trace  of  it.  Edrisi  wrote  at  the  time  when 
the  city  was  in  its  prime,  having  a  crowded  population,  and 
surrounded  with  villages  and  with  tilled  land.  Abulfeda,3  the 
other  eminent  Moslem  geographer,  saw  it  when  in  ruins, 
after  its  entire  destruction  by  his  fellow-religionists. 

Even  as  early  as  during  the  rule  of  the  Egyptian  sultans, 
Acco,  generally  known  as  Akka  or  Accon,  had  again  become 
the  most  important  port  of  Syria,  as  it  had  been  long  before 
under  the  sway  of  the  Ptolemies,  and  when  it  bore  a  name 
derived  from  their  own.  When  the  Christians  first  gained 
possession  of  it,  they  obtained  an  immense  store  of  gold, 
jewels,  and  all  kinds  of  precious  goods.  During  the  exist¬ 
ence  of  the  Christian  kingdom  of  Jerusalem,  Acre  was  next 
to  the  capital  in  power,  importance,  and  splendour,  for  it 
could  offer  far  greater  advantages  than  the  nearer  but  poorer 
haven  of  Joppa;  and  when  Jerusalem  had  passed,  as  it  re¬ 
peatedly  did,  into  the  power  of  the  Moslems,  Acre  was  the 
capital  and  royal  residence.  In  its  harbour  were  gathered 
the  fleets  of  the  Pisanese,  Genoese,  and  Venetians,  laden  with 
crusaders ;  along  its  streets  and  quays  were  immense  build¬ 
ings  for  the  storage  of  merchandise,  as  well  as  for  the  accom- 
modation  of  the  thronging  crowds  of  pilgrims.  The  plan  of 
the  city  given  by  Marin  Sanuto,4  with  the  walls  in  some 
cases  of  three  thicknesses,  and  with  its  massive  towers,  shows 
the  former  strength  of  the  place.  In  the  year  1148,  Acre 

1  Wilken,  Gesch.  der  Kreuzziige ,  Pt.  ii.  p.  194. 

2  Edrisi,  in  Jaubert,  i.  p.  348. 

3  Abulfedse  Tab.  Syr.  ed.  Koehler,  p.  82,  Note  2G. 

4  Marin  Sanuto  Torsellini  Liber  Secretoram  Fidelium  Cruets ,  etc., 
Tab.  v.  Comp.  Pococke,  Plan  viii.  in  his  Travels ,  Pt.  ii.  p.  76. 


364 


PALESTINE. 


was  the  city  where  the  convocations 1  of  the  king  and  barons 
were  held,  and  was  the  central  point  of  commerce  between 
the  East  and  the  West.  When  the  city  fell  without  a  blow 
into  the  hands  of  Saladin  in  1187,  the  Moslems  gained 
possession  of  booty  whose  value  was  inestimable.  As  the 
single  key  2  to  Syria,  the  Christian  leaders  felt  themselves 
compelled  to  make  a  gigantic  effort  to  recover  Acre,  and  for 
two  years  the  plain  around  was  the  scene  of  the  most  heroic 
endeavours  on  both  sides.  On  the  12th  of  July  1191,  Acre, 
with  its  uncounted  stores  of  gold,  silver,  merchandise,  and 
ammunition,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Christians. 

The  hill  Turon,  east  of  the  city,  was  the  chief  camping- 
ground  of  the  crusaders :  the  hills  Ajadiah  and  Mahumeria 
were  also  good  places  for  encampment,  while  the  great  plain 
from  which  they  rise  was  always  the  field  of  battle, — a  large 
triangle,  whose  western  side  was  formed  by  the  sea,  and 
whose  longest  side,  that  on  the  north-east,  was  formed  by  the 
mountains  of  Galilee.  At  the  northern  apex  of  the  triangle 
stood  the  Accursed  Tower,  on  the  sea  side  the  Castle  of  the 
Templars,  at  the  south-east  corner  the  Patriarchs’  Tower,  and 
in  the  midst  of  the  city  the  Citadel,  the  royal  residence,  and 
the  Hall  of  the  Ivniglits  of  St  John.3  The  entrance  of  the 
harbour,  which  was  protected  by  a  short  breakwater,  was 
fortified  by  two  castellated  towers :  the  whole  was  very  much 
strengthened  during  Saladin’s  short  possession.  Ptolemais 
suffered  exceedingly  from  an  earthquake4  in  1202,  which 
affected  all  Syria  from  Egypt  to  Damascus,  Antaradus  being 
the  only  city  that  was  spared.  Acco  recovered  itself  mean¬ 
while;  and  after  the  downfall  of  Jerusalem  in  1229,  it  be¬ 
came  the  only  safe  capital  of  the  kingdom.  St  Louis  and 
Philip  Augustus  of  France,  and  Richard  the  Lion-hearted 5 
of  England,  expended  great  pains  upon  the  strengthening  of 
the  place,  and  increasing  its  splendour.  The  kings  of  Cyprus, 

1  "Wilken,  Gesch.  der  Kreuz.  iii.  pp.  236,  292. 

2  Ibid.  iv.  p.  254. 

3  Sebast.  Pauli,  Codice  diploma tico,  fol.  i.  p.  436,  ii.  p.  486. 

4  Wilken,  Gesch.  vi.  pp.  6,  515. 

3  Ibid.  vii.  pp.  37,  285,  357. 


AKO  OR  ACRE. 


365 


tlie  Templars,  the  princes  of  Antioch,  many  counts  and  barons 
of  Joppa,  Tyre,  Caesarea,  and  other  places,  built  their  palaces 
here.  The  highest  tribunal  was  transferred  from  Jerusalem 
to  Acco;  Venetians,  Pisanese,  and  Genoese  built  sumptuous 
shops  in  the  heart  of  the  city,  and  on  streets  which  often  bore 
familiar  European  names.  They  were  broad  and  spacious, 
overhung  with  silks  and  mottled  stuffs,  to  ward  off  the  rays 
of  the  sun  ;  every  corner  was  guarded  by  a  tower  with  an 
iron  gate  and  a  strong  chain ;  even  the  harbour  could  be 
closed  in  the  latter  way.  All  the  merchandise  of  the  Orient 
and  the  Occident  was  displayed  for  sale  in  the  storehouses ; 
all  languages  were  heard  in  the  streets.  Luxury  of  every 
kind  abounded  :  tournaments,  encounters  with  the  lance, 
parades,  and  festivities  of  all  sorts,  belonged  to  the  order  of 
the  day  in  Acco ;  and  the  only  palace  that  could  bear  com¬ 
parison  with  it  was  the  luxurious  and  industrious  Colonia  on 
the  Rhine  (Cologne),  which  Petrarch  praised  so  highly.  The 
city  was  full  of  churches  and  towers,  the  harbour  was  full  of 
ships  and  masts.  The  largest  houses  were  built  of  stone,  were 
provided  with  glass  windows,  were  adorned  with  pictures  and 
coats-of-arms,  while  the  flat  roofs  were  covered  with  the  most 
beautiful  flower  gardens.  The  palaces  of  the  leading  men 
were  built  in  great  splendour.  But  there  was  a  dark  side  to 
the  picture ;  for  notwithstanding  the  wealth,  the  luxury,  and 
the  power  of  the  city,  there  was  the  most  bitter  enmity 
between  the  Genoese  and  the  Venetians,1  and  constant  en¬ 
counters  took  place  both  within  and  without  the  walls.  The 
reputation  of  the  inhabitants  of  Acco  was  not  the  best ;  they 
were  accused  of  siding  with  the  Saracens  against  the  Chris¬ 
tians.  This,  as  well  as  the  unhealthy  climate,  which  struck 
down  brave  European  warriors  almost  instantly,  and  frequently 
carried  them  off,  prevented  many  stout  hearts  from  entering 
the  armies  of  the  Crusades,  and  kept  them  back  from  the 
Holy  Land.  At  last,  after  all  the  severe  losses  which  had 
been  experienced  in  Palestine,  this  last  asylum  of  the  brave 
Knights  Templar  Hospitallers,  which  had  three  times  with¬ 
stood  the  attacks  of  the  fanatical  Saracen  troops,  after  a 
1  AVilken,  Gesch.  vii.  pp.  37,  383. 


3CG 


PALESTINE. 


most  heroic  defence,  passed  out  of  the  hands  of  the  Chris¬ 
tians.  In  May1 1291  the  city  was  taken,  and  all  its  defenders 
put  to  the  sword,  only  a  few  escaping  by  ship.  The  city 
was  fired  at  the  four  corners,  and  was  burned  to  the  ground. 
This  step  completed  the  expulsion  of  the  Christian  kings 
from  Palestine. 

Of  the  old  buildings  of  Acco,  Prokesch,2  who  visited  the 
place  in  1829,  found  many  a  trace.  The  modern  appearance 
of  the  city,  however,  had  been  very  much  improved  during 
the  residence  there  of  the  tyrannical  Jezzar  Pasha,  who 
died  in  1824.  He  had  built  a  large  and  expensive  but  taste¬ 
less  mosque  there,  and  had  plundered  the  ruins  of  Ceesarea, 
Askelon,  and  Carmel,  to  obtain  pillars  and  ornaments  to 
decorate  his  capital.  The  new  part  of  the  town  he  found  to 
be  not  over  five  hundred  paces  in  extent,  and  washed  on  two 
sides  by  the  sea;3  on  the  land  side  there  was  a  double  wall. 
The  fortress  of  the  place  he  found  to  be  one  of  the  best  in 
the  Levant.  Almost  all  the  buildings  within  the  city  were 
surrounded  by  high  walls.  At  the  east  Prokesch  found  many 
traces  of  the  ancient  Ptolemais :  these  extended  for  a  half- 
hour’s  distance  along  the  shore,  as  far  as  the  river  Belus. 
Among  those  dating  from  the  Crusades,  Prokesch  discovered 
an  ancient  Cathedral  of  St  Andrew,  the  Convent  of  the  Hos¬ 
pitallers,  the  palace  of  the  Grand  Master,  and  the  remains  of 
a  large  nunnery.  The  water-gate  led  to  the  little  narrow 
harbour,  which  is  now  wholly  unprotected :  ships  of  war  have 
to  lie  at  anchor  outside  the  roads,  which  are  very  dangerous 
on  account  of  the  prevalence  of  the  west  winds.  The  number 
of  the  inhabitants  he  estimated  at  ten  thousand,  two  thousand 
being  Christians. 

Wilson,4  who  visited  Acco  in  1843,  regarded  the  city  not 
as  one  of  the  strongest,  but  as  one  of  the  most  regularly  built, 
in  the  land.  Its  greatly  improved  character  in  respect  to  the 
strength  of  its  fortifications,  it  owed  to  the  engineers  employed 

1  Wilken,  Gesch.  vii.  pp.  731,  770,  774. 

2  Yon  Prokesch,  Reise ,  p.  145. 

3  Irby  and  Mangles,  Trav.  p.  194. 

4  Wilson,  Lands  of  the  Bible ,  ii.  p.  233. 


AKO  OR  ACRE. 


867 


by  Mohammed  Ali ;  yet  it  could  not  withstand  the  attack  of 
the  combined  English  and  Austrian  fleets,  and  the  Egyptians 
were  obliged  to  withdraw  to  Damascus. 

Among  the  most  noteworthy  edifices  of  the  city  is  un¬ 
questionably  the  costly  but  tasteless  mosque  built  by  Jezzar 
Pasha.  Of  the  harbour  which  used  to  be  within  the  city 
there  remains  not  a  trace.  Wilson  estimated  the  population 
at  from  eight  to  ten  thousand  souls,  most  of  whom  were 
Turks.  These  exercised  a  very  oppressive  authority  over 
both  the  Christians  and  Jews.  The  number  of  the  latter 
was  only  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  souls. 

The  broad  plain  lying  south  and  east  of  Acco  has,  when 
considered  more  closely,  a  waving  surface  and  a  row  of  large 
dunes,  the  result  of  tire  powerful  western  storms.  The  dunes 
lying  most  inland  seem  formerly  to  have  been  wooded. 

We  close  these  remarks  with  a  sensible  observation  made 
by  the  Duke  of  Ragusa,1  which  was  the  result  of  his  journey 
through  the  plain  of  Esdraelon.  It  serves  to  throw  much 
light  upon  other  places  of  similar  character  in  the  East.  The 
extraordinary  fertility  of  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  he  remarks, 
is  a  gift  of  nature  which  can  profit  no  man,  for  it  is  entirely 
destitute  of  human  life.  Not  a  twentieth  part  of  its  admir¬ 
able  soil  is  under  cultivation  :  its  tall  grasses  wither,  without 
supplying  any  herds  with  nourishment ;  they  only  add  new 
fertility  to  the  plain  every  year.  This  is  the  result  of  men’s 
mismanagement  continued  for  centuries.  Population  with¬ 
draws  from  the  places  most  liberally  endowed  with  the  gifts 
of  nature,  where  man  would  with  the  least  labour  obtain  the 
largest  results,  simply  from  the  fact  that  those  places  are 
generally  so  open  to  attack.  No  kind  of  country  is  so  easily 
conquered,  none  with  so  much  difficulty  defended,  as  a  fertile 
plain.  It  is  different  with  mountain-land,  guarded  by  crags, 
ravines,  and  valleys ;  and  men  always  choose  these  locations 
first,  because,  though  less  productive,  the  results  of  their 
labour  are  secure.  This,  too,  is  one  reason  why  the  villages  in 
the  East  are  often  removed  from  springs  and  brooks  of  sweet 

1  Voyage  du  Mareclial  Due  de  Raguse  en  Syne,  Palestine ,  etc.,  iii. 

p.  22. 


363 


PALESTINE. 


water,  though  so  necessary  to  the  inhabitants  :  the  most 
sterile  localities  are  chosen  in  preference  to  the  most  favoured 
ones,  in  order  to  attain  security  for  the  products  of  labour. 
This  must  always  he  the  case  where  there  is  a  lack  of  a  well- 
administered  government.  Instinct,  therefore,  has  always 
taught  people  in  barbarous  countries  to  seek  mountain  homes; 
and  all  through  the  Orient  the  most  fruitful  plains  are  of 
little  more  service  to  man  than  though  they  were  sandy  deserts. 
It  is  so  with  the  fertile  west  bank  of  the  Jordan,  the  fine 
soil  around  Lake  Tiberias,  the  fruitful  vale  of  Baalbec  in 
Coele-Syria,  the  plain  of  Antioch,  the  most  productive  of  all, 
and  that  of  Esdraelon,  while  the  rough  and  wild  mountain- 
land  of  Samaria  is  crowded  with  population. 

Should  it  ever  be  proposed  to  colonize  these  fertile  plains 
with  European  settlers,  it  would  be  necessary,  so  long  as  the 
country  remains  in  its  present  unsettled  and  misgoverned 
state,  to  furnish  every  such  colony  with  at  least  five  hundred 
armed  men,  whose  only  business  and  care  should  be  to 
protect  the  agriculturists  in  their  labour. 

DISCURSION  IV. 

NAZARETH  AND  ITS  NEIGHBOURHOOD. 

Nazareth  is  at  present  the  most  hallowed  place  of  all 
Galilee, — a  name  which  before  the  birth  of  the  Saviour  is 
nowhere  mentioned,  but  which  since  that  event  has  been 
carried  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  as  no  other  has,  and  is  inti¬ 
mately  associated  with  every  thought  of  that  eternal  life  and 
salvation  which  Jesus  revealed.  For  here  He  passed  His 
childhood  and  youth,  secluded  from  that  darkened  world 
into  which  He  was  soon  to  pour  new  light,  long  foretold 
indeed  by  the  prophets,  but  whose  radiance  was  to  lighten 
the  hearts  of  but  few  until  His  resurrection  should  take  place, 
and  the  light  of  the  gospel  should  illumine  the  world. 

The  place  where  such  a  youth  as  Jesus’  was  spent  will 
always  be  consecrated  ground  to  the  believer ;  and  the  pre¬ 
servation  of  its  old  charms  must  always  awaken  pious  thoughts 


NAZARETH. 


369 


and  quickened  feelings  in  the  pilgrims  who  have  thronged, 
and  still  throng,  to  visit  it.  It  is  but  natural  that  foolish 
legends  and  superstitions  should  gather  round  such  a  place  ; 
and  thus  have  arisen  the  idle  fancies  of  the  middle  acres, 
which  in  the  minds  of  the  ignorant  have  taken  the  place  of 
positive  facts,  and  being  poured  by  the  monks1  into  the 
ears  of  travellers,  have  at  last  received  a  certain  measure  of 
currency.  It  is  different  with  the  nature  of  the  country 
around,  which  here  as  elsewhere  has  remained  unchanged, 
and  whose  surpassing  loveliness  must  have  exercised  an  in¬ 
fluence  on  the  opening  of  the  young  spirit  who  was  trained 
there,  although  the  whole  secret  of  His  spiritual  development 
must  remain  one  of  the  divine  mysteries.  Yet  it  is  impos¬ 
sible  to  prevent  the  mind  sweeping  from  Nazareth  over  land 
and  sea,  and  imagining  that  even  the  very  features  which  go 
to  make  up  the  landscape  there  may  have  had  an  influence 
on  the  destinies  of  the  world.2 

The  present  en-Nasirah  of  the  Arabs,  the  Nazareth  of 
the  Christians,  is  a  place  of  small  importance,  with  a  popu¬ 
lation  at  the  highest  of  three  thousand  souls,  among  whom 
there  are  only  seven  hundred  and  eighty  men  wTho  pay  taxes. 
These  are  divided  ecclesiastically  in  the  following  manner : 
Greeks,  260;  Greek  Catholics,  130  ;  Boman  Catholics,  120  ; 
Maronites,  100;  Mohammedans,  170. 

The  city  lies  on  the  western  side  of  a  long  and  narrow 
basin-like  valley,3  running  from  N.N.E.  to  s.s.w.  Its  houses 
stand  in  the  lower  part  of  the  western  slope,  which  is  steep, 
and  rises  high  above  them.  This  hill  is  covered  with  aromatic 
herbs  and  flowers  :  at  the  very  top  stands  a  wely,  called  Neby 
Ismail.  This  lies,  according  to  Bobinson,  four  or  five  hundred 
feet  above  the  valley,  which  itself  is  not  far  from  a  thousand 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea :  the  measurements  vary.  The 
mountains  which  lie  north  and  north-west  of  Nazareth4  are 

1  Burckhardt,  Trav.  Gesenius’  ed.  p.  583. 

2  Bobinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  333  et  sq. 

3  The  Christian  in  Palestine ,  Plates  9,  11,  12 ;  Roberts,  The  Holy 
Land ,  Book  xix.  Plate  54. 

4  Russegger,  Reise,  iii.  p.  130. 

VOL.  IV.  2  A 


370 


PALESTINE. 


from  1200  to  1300  feet  high.  The  loftiest  lie  north-west; 
those  less  elevated  more  to  the  north  :  they  sink  towards  the 
east  and  south-east,  till  they  rise  suddenly  again  in  Tabor. 
Towards  the  south-east  the  valley  of  Nazareth  becomes 
narrower,  and  ends  in  a  winding  path  leading  to  the  plain 
of  Esdraelon.  There  are  also  roads  leading  east  to  Tabor 
and  Tiberias,  south-east  to  Jenin,  south-west  by  way  of  Yafa 
and  the  plain  to  Carmel,  north-east  to  Kafr  Kenna,  and 
north-west  to  Sefurieh  and  northern  Galilee  Both  of  the 
latter  run  east  of  the  Wely  Neby  Ismail,  whence  a  magnificent 
panoramic  view1  may  be  taken,  which  serves  to  supply  the 
deficiencies  in  the  records  of  personal  travel  m  the  Galilean 
hills. 

Here  Robinson  surrendered  himself  on  Sunday  morning, 
June  17,  1838,  to  the  enchanting  prospect  before  him,  em¬ 
bracing  the  beautiful  cone  of  Tabor,  Little  Hermon,  and 
Gilboa  in  the  east ;  the  mountains  of  Samaria  at  the  west ; 
the  whole  plain  of  Esdraelon,  the  battle-field  of  ancient  and 
modern  times,  at  his  feet.  Beyond  the  plain  he  could  see 
the  long  wooded  Carmel  ridge,  reaching  to  the  new  convent, 
and  to  Haifa,  washed  with  the  sea,  which  the  rays  of  the 
morning  sun  lighted  up  with  great  splendour.  The  city  of 
Acca  was  hid  behind  the  hills.  Toward  the  north  there 
stretched  away  another  of  the  beautiful  plains  that  adorn 
this  part  of  Palestine,  el-Buttauf,  which  runs  east  and  west, 
and  sends  its  waters  into  the  Ivishon.  On  the  northern 
limit  lies  the  large  village  of  Sefurieh  (Diocsesarea),  near 
to  the  foot  of  a  solitary  peak,  on  which  stand  the  ruins  of 
a  castle.  Beyond  the  plain  of  el-Buttauf  there  are  long 
ridges  running  east  and  west,  and  advancing  in  height  till 
the  mountain  of  Safed  (the  city  set  upon  a  hill,  Matt.  v.  14) 
is  reached.  Farther  eastward  lies  an  ocean  of  larger  and 
smaller  peaks,  beyond  which  the  higher  ones  in  Hauran  are 
discernible  ;  and  north-east  the  majestic  Hermon,  with  its  cap 
of  snow,  is  in  full  view.  South-west,  but  far  nearer,  the 
noble  promontory  of  Carmel  projects  into  the  silver  mirror 
of  the  Mediterranean.  South-eastward,  one  standing  on  the 
1  Wilson,  Lands ,  etc ii.  pp.  93-99 ;  v.  Raumer,  Pal.  pp.  119-122. 


NAZARETH . 


371 


heights  in  the  rear  of  Nazareth  can  see  the  nature  of  the 
country  which  connects  Carmel  with  the  mountains  of  Sa¬ 
maria  ;  that  it  consists  of  a  large  number  of  low  wooded  hills, 
separating  the  Esdraelon  plain  from  the  fertile  valleys  at  the 
south  of  Samaria.  The  same  rich  supply  of  woods  and  low 
bushes  gives  the  Carmel  range  an  attractive  appearance,  re¬ 
markably  in  contrast  with  the  naked  hills  of  Judaea.  The 
beauty  and  grandeur  of  the  view  from  the  Wely  Neby 
Ismail,  together  with  the  almost  infinite  number  of  recol¬ 
lections  connected  with  localities  in  view,  make  this  prospect 
one  of  the  most  sublime  and  most  deeply  interesting  that  the 
world  affords. 

The  city  of  Nazareth  consists  of  stone  houses  with  flat  roofs, 
among  which  the  citadel -like  Franciscan  Convent,  inhabited 
mainly  by  Spanish  monks  of  birth,  and  surrounded  by  its  de¬ 
tached  but  dependent  buildings,  rises  as  the  most  prominent 
structure  in  the  place.  The  church  of  the  Annunciation  is 
very  small ;  but,  according  to  some  travellers,1  it  is  decorated 
with  pictures  of  great  beauty,  and  with  finety-wrought  marble. 
It  is  reputed  to  stand  on  the  site  of  the  house  of  Mary.  The 
house  itself  is  said  to  have  been  transported  by  angels  to 
Loretto.  The  church  and  convent  were  begun  in  1620,  out 
of  materials  which  remained  from  the  ruins  of  former  struc¬ 
tures  of  a  similar  character  :  in  1730  both 2  were  enlarged,  and 
received  that  castellated  form  which  characterized  them  at  a 
later  day.  In  1837  the  buildings  were  destroyed  by  the 
great  earthquake ; 3  but  they  have  been  completely  re-erected 
since,  and  the  so-called  Casa  mtova,  used  for  the  reception 
of  pilgrims,  is  considered  one  of  the  finest  buildings  for  its 
purpose  in  the  East.  In  Burckhardt’s  time  (1812)  the  con¬ 
vent  had  an  income  of  £900,  a  part  of  which  came  from 
Jerusalem,  while  a  part  was  derived  from  the  lands  around 
Nazareth,  and  from  the  rent  of  houses.  At  the  time  of  his 
visit  ten  Franciscan  monks  were  living  in  the  convent. 

1  0.  v.  Richter,  Wall/,  p.  03  ;  TV.  Turner,  Journal ,  vol.  ii.  p.  132. 

2  Burckhardt,  Gesenius’  ed.  p.  583. 

3  Russegger,  Reise ,  iii.  p.  130  ;  Thomson,  in  Miss.  Herald ,  1837, 
p.  440. 


372 


PALESTINE. 


According  to  Burckhardt,  the  monks  of  Nazareth  live  under 
a  less  strict  discipline  than  is  usual  in  institutions  of  the  same 
kind,  and  do  not  wholly  abstain  from  the  manners  and  cus¬ 
toms  of  the  world.  They  have,  too,  enjoyed  a  milder  treat¬ 
ment  at  the  hands  of  the  Turkish  rulers  than  Christians  in 
any  other  part  of  Palestine  have  received.  To  this  the  per¬ 
sonal  influence  of  the  superior  of  the  convent  at  the  time  of 
Burckhardt’ s  visit,  Father  Catafago,  may  have  contributed, 
— a  man  who  had  hired  of  the  pasha  the  ground  of  two  vil¬ 
lages,  paying  £3000  rent  therefor,  but  who  was  managing 
his  own  interests  so  skilfully,  that  he  had  already  enriched 
his  whole  family,  had  become  the  signal  protector  of  all 
Christian  travellers,  and  had  earned  the  gratitude  of  a  large 
circle  of  intelligent  men,  who  have  thankfully  recorded  their 
obligations  to  him.1 

The  little  church  of  the  Maronites  stands  in  the  south¬ 
western  part  of  the  city,  beneath  a  rocky  mountain  wall 
forty  or  fifty  feet  high.  Many  similar  precipices  of  the  same 
character  may  be  seen  west  of  the  town :  one  of  them  may 
have  been  the  place  to  which  allusion  is  made  in  Luke  iv. 
28,  29,  although  the  one  which  the  monks  assign  as  the  place 
of  that  occurrence  lies  two  miles  to  the  south-east.  The 
legend,  however,  does  not  go  further  back  than  to  the  time  of 
the  Crusades  :  the  older,  writers  make  no  allusion  to  it.  The 
claim  of  the  Greeks  that  their  church  is  the  true  Church  of 
the  Annunciation,  the  story  about  the  fine  spring  which  is 
shown  to  travellers  being  that  of  Mary,  and  the  legends  con¬ 
nected  with  the  praying  stations  around  the  town,  are  all  the 
outgrowth  of  the  last  few  centuries. 

That  must  have  been  an  unimportant  place  indeed  about 
which  the  question  could  be  asked,  u  Can  any  good  thing 
come  out  of  Nazareth?”  and  which  gave  the  first  nickname 
applied  to  the  Christians — the  sect  of  the  Nazarenes  (Acts 
xxiv.  5).  And  even  yet  the  title  is  retained  among  the 
Arabs,  who  designate  the  people  of  the  whole  Christian  world 
as  en-Nusara. 

The  name  of  Nazareth  does  not  occur  in  the  Old  Testa- 
1  Yon  Prokesch,  Reise,  p.  130. 


NAZARETH, . 


373 


ment  nor  in  Joseplms.  Nor  is  it  met  after  the  time  of  the 
Saviour,  till  Eusebius,  writing  in  the  fourth  century,  speaks 
of  the  place  as  a  village  lying  fifteen  Roman  miles  from 
Legio  (el-Lejun).  and  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Tabor. 
From  a  document  written  by  Epiphanius1  in  the  same  century, 
stating  that  up  to  the  time  of  Constantine  only  Jews  had 
lived  in  Nazareth,  it  seems  probable  that  in  his  time  Christians 
were  resident  there.  Still  no  bishopric  was  erected  there 
during  the  Byzantine  supremacy,  although  the  place  was 
much  visited  by  pilgrims.  The  manner  in  which  Antoninus 
Martyr,  who  visited  Nazareth  about  600,  speaks  of  it,  shows 
the  reverence  in  which  the  place  was  held  at  that  time,  for 
he  compares  it  to  a  paradise  on  earth.  He  praises  not  only 
all  the  gifts  of  nature — the  fruit,  wine,  oil,  honey,  grain — as  of 
remarkable  excellence;  but  he  extols  the  beauty  of  the  women 
of  Nazareth  as  far  beyond  the  beauty  of  other  women, — an 
advantage  which  he  ascribes  to  the  personal  favour  of  Mary 
to  her  sex  (“  in  civitate  vere  ilia  tanta  est  gratia  mulierum 
Hebrsearum,  ut  inter  cseteras  pulchriores  inveniantur,  et  hoc 
a  Sancta  Maria  sibi  concessum  dicunt”2). 

After  the  crusaders  had  taken  possession  of  Jerusalem, 
Tancred  was  invested  with  the  governorship  of  Galilee  from 
Tiberias  to  Haifa.  Under  his  direction,  Nazareth,  which 
had  been  entirely  destroyed  by  the  Saracens,  was  rebuilt,  and 
the  province  was  ruled  with  a  degree  of  kindness  and  justice 
which  has  not  been  found  in  all  his  successors.3 

With  the  new  ecclesiastical  arrangements  which  followed, 
the  bishopric,  whose  seat  had  before  been  at  Scythopolis,  was 
removed  to  Nazareth.  The  exact  time  of  this  transfer  is 
unknown  ;  but  in  the  year  1112  Nazareth  had  a  controversy 
with  the  Benedictine  Convent  at  Tabor  regarding  their 
respective  rights  of  jurisdiction.  An  appeal  was  made  to 
Jerusalem,  and  the  decision  made,  that  the  consecration  of 
the  abbot  and  the  monks  should  take  place  on  Tabor,  and 
be  done  by  the  patriarch,  but  that  the  bishop  of  Nazareth 

1  Reland,  Pal.  p.  905. 

2  B.  Antonini  Martyris  Itinerar.  ed.  Juliomagi  Andiura,  p.  4. 

8  IVilken,  Gesch.  der  Kreuz.  ii.  pp.  37,  3G5. 


374 


PALESTINE. 


should  exercise  all  other  episcopal  functions  over  the 
convent.1 

With  the  fall  of  all  Palestine,  after  the  battle  of  Hattin 
in  1187,  into  the  hands  of  the  Saracens,  Nazareth  relapsed 
into  decay,2  but  was  continually  visited  by  pilgrims ;  and  in 
1620,  through  the  intervention  of  the  philanthropic  Druse, 
the  celebrated  Fakhr  ed  Din,  the  Franciscans  obtained  per¬ 
mission  to  rebuild  the  convent  anew.  Since  that  time  the 
place  has  renewed  its  old  charms,  and  has  become  a  favourite 
resting-place  for  Christians  who  seek  holy  places. 

Within  our  own  times  the  American  missionaries  labouring 
at  Beirut  as  a  centre  have  succeeded,  by  their  diffusion  of 
the  Bible,  their  schools,  and  preaching,  in  awaking  an  active 
interest  in  the  gospel,  and  a  desire  to  receive  it.  A  Greek 
Christian  of  Nazareth,3  who  had  visited  the  mission  schools 
at  Beirut  with  great  pleasure,  took  an  active  part  in  intro¬ 
ducing  them  among  his  own  townspeople.  At  the  time  of 
Bobinson’s  visit  he  had  succeeded  in  establishing  a  school 
of  fifty  boys,  and  a  new  room  was  already  needed  to  accom¬ 
modate  twenty  more.  He  had  even  ventured  to  send  his 
daughter  to  be  instructed :  she  was  the  first  of  her  race  in 
Nazareth  who  learned  to  read,  but  others  were  not  slow  to 
follow  her  example.  Of  course  there  was  no  lack  of  diffi¬ 
culties  and  hindrances,  and  he  would  gladly  have  seen  the 
mission  undertake  the  charge  of  the  schools,  but  funds  were 
lacking  for  this  purpose. 

The  observation  of  Burckhardt4  is  an  interesting  one 
concerning  the  inhabitants  of  Nazareth,  compared  with  that 
of  Antoninus  already  quoted.  The  latter  praises  highly  the 
beauty  of  the  Nazarene  women,  and  it  may  be  that  his 
laudation  is  not  unfounded.  The  inhabitants  of  this  place 
differ,  says  Burckhardt,  in  physiognomy  and  colour  from  all 
their  Syrian  neighbours  :  in  the  contour  of  their  face  they 
resemble  the  Egyptians.  In  western  Palestine  the  people 

1  Comp.  Sebast.  Pauli,  Cod.  dipl.  i.  p.  179. 

2  Wilken,  Gesch.  d.  Kreuz.  iii.  p.  230,  vii.  p.  4G1. 

3  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  pp.  334,  338. 

4  Burckhardt,  Trav.  p.  341  ;  comp.  Eussegger,  Reise,  iii.  p.  131. 


NEIGHBOURHOOD  OF  NAZARETH 


375 


have  far  more  similarity  to  the  natives  of  Egypt  than  the 
inhabitants  of  northern  Syria.  Eastern  Palestine  shows  just 
the  reverse :  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  Hebron,  and 
Nablus  have  the  genuine  Syrian  form  and  contour  of  face, 
although  their  speech  differs  from  that  of  the  north.  It  is 
apparent  at  once  that  the  physical  character  of  the  eastern 
and  western  mountains  of  the  country  has  had  an  influence 
on  the  people,  and  the  whole  history  of  the  country  confirms 
ito  Very  interesting  would  it  be,  says  Burckhardt,1  the 
practised  ethnographer,  to  collect  representations  of  the  various 
classes  of  Syrians,  and  compare  them,  the  Aleppines,  the 
Turkomans,  the  natives  of  the  Lebanon,  the  Damascenes,  the 
coast  people  from  Beirut  down  to  Acre  and  J oppa,  the  Beduins, 
the  inhabitants  of  the  hills  of  Judah.  They  all  have,  he 
says,  a  national  physiognomy ;  and  yet,  although  all  living 
within  the  same  country,  and  that  not  a  large  one,  they  have 
minor  ethnographical  differences,  like  those  which  distinguish 
French,  English,  and  Italians.  It  would  be  well  to  secure 
these  varieties  now  by  the  aid  of  the  photograph,  for  the 
tendency  of  time  is  to  cause  them  to  disappear. 

Places  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  Nazareth. 

In  the  direct  vicinity  of  Nazareth,  on  the  side  towards 
the  sea,  belong  Yafa  and  Jebata  on  the  south-west,  Semuniah 
on  the  west,  and  Sefurieh2  on  the  north-west,  together  with 
Shefa  Amer,  Abilin,  Cabul,  and  other  places.  Yafa,  a  half- 
hour's  distance  south-west  of  Nazareth,  has  been  considered 
since  the  time  of  Marin  Sanudo  to  have  been  the  home  of 
Zebedee  and  his  two  sons  John  and  James.  It  is  a  village 
of  about  thirty  houses  and  some  palm  trees,  and  may  perhaps 
indicate  the  site  of  Japhia,  mentioned  in  Josh.  xix.  12  as  one 
of  the  terminal  cities  of  Zebulun  :  it  is  also  probably  identical 
with  the  Japha  alluded  to  in  Josephus  as  a  place  which  he 
fortified,  and  which  was  at  the  time  of  Titus’  attack  upon  it 
a  large  and  populous  town. 

1  Burckbardt’s  Trav.  p.  341  ;  comp.  Russegger,  Reise,  iii.  p.  131. 

2  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  p.  344  et  s<p  ;  Keil,  Comment,  zu  Josua, 
p.  339. 


376 


PALESTINE. 


Jebata,  lying  a  little  farther  towards  the  south-west,  is 
probably  the  Gabatha  of  Eusebius  and  Jerome,  which  lay 
near  the  boundaries  of  Diocassarea  (Sephoris),  near  the  plain 
of  Legio,  i.e.  Esdraelon.  The  place  is  not  mentioned  in  the 
Scriptures.  Nor  do  we  find  in  the  sacred  record  the  name 
of  Semunieh  (the  Simonias  of  Josephus,  Vita  24),  a  little 
Mohammedan  village  west  of  Yafa,1  upon  one  of  a  row  of 
hills  north  of  Esdraelon,  where  the  Romans  sought  to  fall 
unawares  upon  Josephus  in  the  night  and  take  him  prisoner. 

Sefurieh,  the  Sephoris  of  Josephus  and  the  Tsippori2  of 
the  rabbis,  is  not  named  in  the  Bible.  It  is  at  present  a 
little  village  situated  at  the  foot  of  a  castle-crowned  eminence, 
one  and  a  half  hour’s  distance  north-west  of  Nazareth,  and 
at  the  southern  limit  of  the  plain  el-Buttauf.  It  has  retained 
its  old  name,  although  during  the  earlier  centuries  of  the 
Christian  era  it  was  known  as  Diocassarea.  Plundered  by 
Plerod  the  Great,  burned  by  Varus,  rebuilt  and  fortified  by 
Herod  Antipas,  it  was  called  by  Josephus3  the  most  important 
place  in  Galilee,  and  for  a  time  had  precedence  even  over 
Tiberias.  Several  synagogues  and  one  of  the  provincial 
sanhedrim  were  established  there  by  Gabinius.  In  339,  as 
the  result  of  repeated  insurrections  of  the  Jewish  inhabitants, 
the  place  was  levelled  to  the  ground.  It  was  afterwards 
rebuilt  by  the  Christians ;  and  Antoninus  Martyr  tells  us  of 
a  basilica  which  was  erected  on  the  spot  where  the  popular 
superstition  asserted  that  the  Virgin  received  the  salutation 
of  the  angel,  of  which  Robinson  remarks  that  it  probably 
grew  out  of  the  old  legend  that  in  this  place  lived  the  parents 
of  Mary.  For  convenience  sake,  the  site  was  afterwards 
transferred  to  Nazareth,  and  the  place  of  the  salutation  is 
now  pointed  out  there.  Sefurieh  was  subsequently  noted  for 
its  fine  spring,  which  often  became  the  place  of  encamp¬ 
ment  for  Christian  armies.4  It  was  last  used  for  that  pur- 

1  See  Eli  Smith’s  narrative  in  Robinson’s  Bib.  Researches. 

2  Reland,  Pal.  pp.  999-1003 ;  von  Raumer,  Pal.  p.  123. 

8  Joseph.  Vita,  41. 

4  Wilken,  Gesch.  der  Kreuz.  iii.  pp.  208,  231,  273,  274,  292  ;  Sebastian 
Pauli,  Codice  diplomatico,  p.  439. 


NEIGHBOURHOOD  OF  NAZARETH. 


377 


pose  at  the  time  of  the  retreat  after  the  battle  of  Hattin  ;  but 
on  the  approach  of  the  victorious  Saladin,  the  Christians 
were  compelled  to  surrender,  and  the  place  was  sacked. 
Since  that  time  its  importance  has  diminished  :  it  has  become 
a  mere  village,  visited  by  pilgrims  merely  on  account  of  the 
legends  connected  with  it,  but  in  itself  not  specially  note¬ 
worthy.  It  remained  entirely  unaffected  by  the  great  earth¬ 
quake1  of  1837,  which  was  so  severely  felt  at  Nazareth, 
Safed,  and  throughout  Galilee.  The  northern  road  from 
Nazareth  to  Akka  passes  by  Sefurieh :  the  one  more  com¬ 
monly  taken,  however,  runs  through  Abilin,2  near  the  village 
of  Kabul.  This  road  has  been  seldom  traversed.  Bucking- 
ham3  and  Barth  have  described  it,  however. 

The  situation  of  the  villages  on  the  east  of  Nazareth— 
Xksal  (Chesulloth),  Deburieh  (Deberoth),  Lubieh,  Hattin, 
Khan  el  Tujjar,  and  Kefr  Sabt — has  already  been  depicted, 
and  need  not  be  referred  to  again  here.  They  lie  generally 
on  the  great  Damascus  road  leading  by  Tabor  to  Tiberias  or 
Capernaum  and  the  basin  of  the  Jordan. 

Between  the  road  running  eastward  and  those  leading 
westward,  there  lies,  directly  north  of  Nazareth,  and  beyond 
the  fine  plain  el-Buttauf,  the  interior  province  of  northern 
Galilee, — a  true  terra  incognita ,  but  well  worthy  of  the  atten¬ 
tion  of  travellers.  Death  has  taken  away  the  patient,  con¬ 
scientious,  and  thorough  explorer  of  this  region,  Dr  E.  G. 
Schultz,  before  he  could  publish  the  results  of  his  investiga¬ 
tions,  and  it  is  yet  uncertain  whether  his  manuscripts  have 
been  left  in  a  state  to  be  used.  From  some  of  his  personal 
communications  to  me,  I  shall  be  able  to  gather  some  valu¬ 
able  facts,  but  they  will  not  make  good  his  loss.  We  have, 
it  is  true,  the  names  of  many  places  in  northern  Galilee,  of 
which  several  have  been  identified  with  ancient  localities ; 
but  it  is  names  alone  that  we  have :  with  the  character  of 
the  population  wTe  have  at  present  no  acquaintance.  It  i3 
to  be  hoped  that  this  hiatus  will  soon  be  filled,  and  that 

1  Thomson,  in  Oriental  Herald ,  1837,  vol.  xxxiii.  p.  440. 

2  Eli  Smith,  in  Bib.  Researches. 

8  Buckingham,  Trav.  i.  pp.  135-142. 


378 


PALESTINE. 


the  north  of  Palestine  will  be  as  well  known  to  us  as  the 
south. 


DISCURSION  V. 

THE  INTERIOR  OF  GALILEE — THE  UPPER  AND  THE  LOWER  PROVINCES,  THE 
HIGHLANDS  AND  THE  LOWLANDS. 

On  Robinson’s  second  ascent  from  Nazareth  to  the  Wely 
Neby  Ismail,  Abu  Nasir,  his  guide,  who  was  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  the  whole  neighbourhood,  pointed  out,  at  a 
considerable  distance  northward,  the  village  of  Kefr  Menda  ;x 
and  east  of  this,  on  the  extreme  northern  edge  of  the  plain 
el-Buttauf,  a  village  which  -was  called  by  the  inhabitants  of 
the  district  Kana  el  Jelil.  A  little  farther  eastward  was  the 
hamlet  Rummaneh,  perhaps  the  Remmon  of  Josh.  xix.  13,  one 
of  the  frontier  stations  of  Zebulun.  It  could  not,  however, 
be  seen  by  Robinson.  From  the  high  point  where  he  stood 
he  took  the  bearings  of  Sefurieh,  Kefr  Menda,  Kana,  and 
Safed.  The  last-mentioned  place  he  visited,  the  other  three 
he  did  not.  But  he  did  go  to  the  Kana  or  Cana,  lying  an 
hour  and  a  half  eastward  of  Nazareth,  on  the  way  to  Hattin, 
the  Kefr  Kenna,  more  strictly  written,  where  the  monkish 
legend  asserts  that  Jesus  transformed  the  water  into  wine, 
and  which,  for  a  very  long  time,  has  been  held  by  devout 
pilgrims  to  have  been  the  scene  of  the  first  miracle  of  the 
Saviour.  The  village  lies  upon  the  watershed  of  the  Galilasan 
mountain  chain,  where  the  waters  part,  which  find  their  way 
on  the  one  side  into  the  Jordan,  and  on  the  other  pass  through 
the  plain  of  el-Buttauf  and  enter  the  Mediterranean. 

Even  up  to  the  present  time,  the  village  of  Kefr  Kana  is 
visited  by  crowds  of  pilgrims,  who  enter  the  house  pointed 
out  by  the  monks  as  that  of  Bartholomew7,  and  look  at  the 
fragments  of  the  jars  which  held  the  wine  (readily  replaced 
from  the  convenient  pottery  in  the  village).  Burckhardt2 
even  saw  no  reason  to  doubt  the  authenticity  of  the  tradition 

1  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  'p.  340 ;  Keil,  Comment,  zu  Josua ,  p.  339. 

2  Burckhardt,  Trav.  p.  336  ;  Reland,  Pal.  pp.  680,  681. 


CANA  OF  GALILEE. 


379 


which  makes  the  place  the  scene  of  the  Saviour’s  miracle. 
Yet  Pococke1  did  not  fail  to  observe  that  the  Greek  Wend 

O 

assigned  another  site  to  Cana.  Robinson,  surprised  by  the 
remark  of  Abu  Nasir,  that  in  the  distance  northward  lay 
the  village  of  Kana  el  Jelil,  i.e.  Cana  in  Galilee,  was  led  to 
the  conviction  that  there,  and  not  in  the  Kefr  Kenna  at  the 
east,  was  the  scene  of  the  transformation  of  water  into  wine. 
The  name  uniformly  given  to  the  latter  village  is  both  written 
and  spoken  differently  from  the  other ;  and  what  is  still  more 
to  the  purpose,  the  uniform  name  applied  to  the  newly  dis¬ 
covered  Cana  was  u  Cana  of  Galilee,”  a  term  exactly  cor¬ 
responding  to  that  always  used  in  the  New  Testament. 
Robinson  conjectured  that  the  monks  had  arbitrarily  changed 
the  locality,  in  order  to  suit  the  convenience  of  pilgrims  who 
might  wish  to  take  the  great  road  leading  to  Tiberias  and 
Tabor,  and  whom  it  would  put  to  inconvenience  to  visit  the 
northern  and  authentic  Cana.  On  examination,  his  con¬ 
jecture  was  confirmed  by  the  want  of  any  authority  for  the 
modern  view  older  than  the  sixteenth  century.  Quaresmius3 
speaks  of  two  Canas  in  Galilee,  Kana  el  Jelil  and  Sepher 
Kana.  He  describes  their  location,  and  makes  his  decision 
in  favour  of  the  latter,  on  the  ground  that  it  lay  nearer 
Nazareth  ;  but  he  does  not  wholly  venture  to  discard  the 
other.  Since  his  day,  this  has  been  the  view  inculcated  by 
the  monks,  and  generally  received  by  travellers.  Robinson’s 
investigations  showed  him  conclusively,  that  the  more  northerly 
Cana  was  formerly  held  to  be  that  in  which  the  wredding 
was  celebrated,  and  of  which  John  says  that  the  mother  of 
Jesus  was  there,  whither  her  Son  followed  her.  This  view  is 
supported  by  the  authority  of  Breydenbacli,  Marin  Sanudo, 
Brocard,  Saewulf,  Willibald,  and  the  Onomasticon.  There 
is  no  ground  of  any  value,  according  to  Robinson,  for  identi¬ 
fying  Kefr  Kenna  with  the  Cana  of  the  marriage.3 

That  Kana  el  Jelil,  or  Cana  of  Galilee,  is  therefore,  with¬ 
out  much  doubt,  the  interesting  place  of  which  John  says 

1  Pococke,  Travels ,  Pt.  ii.  p.  77. 

2  Quaresmius,  Elucidatio  Terrx  Sanctx,  ii.  p.  85. 

3  Comp.  Sebast.  Pauli,  Codice  diphmatico,  No.  clvi.  p.  200. 


330 


PALESTINE. 


(ii.  11),  “  This  beginning  of  miracles  did  Jesus  in  Cana  of 
Galilee,  and  manifested  forth  His  glory;  and  His  disciples 
believed  on  Him.”  It  was  to  this  place  also  that  Jesus  came 
on  His  return  from  Judaea,  when  the  nobleman  came  and 
besought  Him  to  heal  his  son,  and  to  whom  Jesus  said, 
“  Except  ye  see  signs  and  wonders,  ye  will  not  believe”  (John 
iv.  48).  In  this  Cana,  too,  Nathanael  was  born  (John  i.  47, 
xxi.  2.)1  Another  and  third  Cana,  which  lay  in  the  territory 
of  Asher,  and  near  Sidon  (Josh.  xix.  28),  must  not  be  con¬ 
founded  with  this ;  and  at  the  present  day  there  is  to  be 
found  a  village  south-east  of  Tyre,  bearing  the  same  name. 
The  New  Testament  Cana  is  nowhere  mentioned  in  the  Old 
Testament.2 

If  now  we  leave  these  places  which  have  been  thoroughly 
explored  and  described  by  travellers,  and  go  northward  into 
the  interior  of  Galilee,  we  shall  have  to  guard  every  step 
with  great  care,  since  we  have  but  few  guides  to  direct  our 
steps,  and  the  confusion  of  the  maps  tends  rather  to  perplex 
than  enlighten.  We  have  the  account  of  Josephus,  drawn 
up  at  the  time  when  he  was  governor  of  Galilee,  and  obliged 
to  traverse  the  whole  country,  in  order  to  defend  it  from  the 
Homans.  We  have  also  some  brief  notices  dating;  from  the 
time  of  the  Crusades,  when  the  country  was  distributed  by  the 
King  of  Jerusalem,  and  assigned  to  counts  and  barons,  who 
dotted  the  country  with  fortresses  and  castles.  Still,  not 

1  Keil,  Comment,  zu  Josua,  p.  347  ;  Robinson,  Bib.  Research,  ii.  455. 

2  A  writer  in  tbe  Athenaeum  (Feb.  10,  1866)  has  some  excellent  re¬ 
marks  on  tbe  site  of  Cana,  in  which  he  adopts  the  older  view,  that  Kefr 
Kana  was  the  scene  of  the  first  miracle.  He  states,  that  “  on  the  spot 
there  is  no  contest.  The  natives  have  not  heard  of  the  controversy. 
The  Arabs  have  an  immemorial  tradition  in  favour  of  a  particular  site, 
as  that  on  which  the  great  Nazarene  Prophet  turned  water  into  wine. 
The  Greeks  have  more  than  a  tradition :  they  have  memorial  stones,  the 
ruins  of  a  church  and  convent,  going  back  to  a  remote  antiquity.  Arabs 
and  Greeks  agree  that  the  miracle  took  place  at  Kefr  Kana,  village  of 
Cana,  standing  on  a  low  hill  close  by  the  Roman  road  from  Sephoris  to 
Tiberias  and  Capernaum.  Everything  is  in  favour  of  that  site ;  local 
tradition,  material  evidence,  and  literary  testimony.  Kefr  Kana  stands 
between  Nazareth  and  the  Sea  of  Galilee  ;  and  every  reader  of  Josephus 
and  St  John  must  see  that  that  Cana  lay  on  the  road  between  Nazareth 


CANA  OF  GALILEE. 


381 


much  is  known  of  these;  for,  with  the  expulsion  of  the 
Christians  from  Palestine,  the  Frankish  names  were  also 
driven  out,  to  he  supplanted  by  corruptions  from  the  ancient 
designations,  or  by  new  names  given  by  the  Mohammedan 
conquerors.  It  is  difficult,  therefore,  in  Galilee,  to  identify 
what  is  ancient,  what  is  modern,  and  what  belongs  to  the 
middle  ages ;  for  no  Eli  Smith  and  Edward  Robinson  have 
traversed  this  region  in  all  directions,  studied  the  popular 
habits  and  traditions,  and  made  the  world  acquainted  with 
the  result  of  their  strenuous  efforts.  Robinson  was  only 
acquainted  with  the  east  side  of  Galilee,  as  far  into  the 
interior  as  the  west  tributaries  of  the  Jordan  extend,  and  to 
the  road  customarily  taken,  running  from  Safed  north-west 
by  way  of  el-Jish  (Giscala),  Bint  Jebail,  Tibnin  (Turonum), 
and  Kanah,  as  far  as  Tyre.  On  the  west  side,  all  travellers, 
from  Richard  Pococke  (1737)  down,  have  taken  the  coast 
road  through  the  plain  reaching  from  Acre  to  Tyre  ;  and  no 
one  has  ventured  to  plunge  into  the  interior  mountain-land 
of  Galilee.  There  are  only  two  men,  as  far  as  I  am  aware, 
who  constitute  an  exception  to  this :  Stephen  Schultz,  the 
Halle  missionary  among  the  Jews,  who  traversed  the  country 
in  the  middle  of  the  last  century ;  and  E.  G.  Schultz,  Prus¬ 
sian  consul  at  Jerusalem,  who  thoroughly  explored  Galilee 
a  century  later.  The  first  was  a  thorough  orientalist,  and 
wrote  with  little  attention  to  matters  of  topography  and  anti- 

and  the  lake.  Christ  comes  to  Cana  on  His  way  from  Nazareth  to  Caper¬ 
naum  ;  the  centurion  comes  to  it  on  his  way  from  Capernaum  to  Naza¬ 
reth  ;  Josephus  hurries  from  Cana  to  Tiberias  by  a  secret  night  march  ; — 
evidence  that  it  stood  on  the  Roman  road,  with  no  walled  city  between 
it  and  the  lake.  The  Syrian  Christians  never  lost  the  knowledge  of  this 
sacred  place  :  early  in  date  they  built  a  shrine  in  honour  of  the  marriage 
feast,  which  shrine  St  Willibald  visited  and  described  in  722.  There 
can  be  no  question  of  the  locality  which  he  indicates  ;  for  he  says  in 
express  words,  that  he  went  to  Cana  on  his  way  from  Nazareth  to  Mount 
Tabor.  Four  centuries  later  (1102)  Saewulf  described  the  same  village 
and  shrine.  From  generation  to  generation  the  Church  of  the  Marriage 
Feast  remained  in  evidence  :  it  was  mentioned  by  Quaresmius  in  1629  ; 
and  its  foundations  may  still  be  seen  by  those  who  seek  them.  It  Avouhl 
seem,  then,  that  the  evidence  in  favour  of  Kefr  Kana  being  the  real  site 
of  Cana  of  Galilee  is  of  its  kind  perfect.” — Ed. 


382 


PALESTINE. 


quity  ;  the  second  a  keen  investigator  into  everything  which 
could  elucidate  history.  The  lamented  death  of  the  latter, 
occurring  as  it  did  before  his  material  was  ready  for  publica¬ 
tion,  has  cut  us  off  from  the  use  of  materials  collected  during 
many  journeys  between  1845  and  1848,  in  the  course  of 
which  he  thoroughly  explored  northern  Galilee, 

1,  Upper  and  Lower  Galilee ,  according  to  the  narrative  of 
Josephus:  the  plains  of  Zebulun,  Batthauf  and  Asochis, 
discriminated  from  the  great  plain  of  Esclraelon. 

An  important  result  of  the  investigations  of  Schultz,1  is 
the  better  understanding  of  the  division  which  Josephus 
makes  of  the  whole  country  into  Upper  and  Lower  Galilee, 
the  latter  of  which  was  the  scene  of  all  the  events  which  he 
describes  in  his  history  of  his  defence  of  the  land  against  the 
Romans.  Lower  Galilee  he  designated  as  “  the  great  plain,” 
— an  expression  which  has  been  usually  supposed  to  refer  to 
Esdraelon,  around  which,  therefore,  antiquarians  have  sought 
for  traces  of  the  places  which  he  mentions.  As  lately  as 
1842,  Wolcott2  looked  for  the  site  of  the  celebrated  fortress 
of  Jotapata,  winch  Josephus  so  bravely  defended  until  he 
was  overpowered  and  taken  prisoner,  on  the  northern  edge 
of  Esdraelon,  near  the  present  Yafa,  a  short  distance  south¬ 
west  of  Nazareth.  Here  von  Raumer  and  Reland  located  it 
also,  while  D’Anville  supposed  it  farther  north  than  Safed. 
The  plain  spoken  of  as  pre-eminently  Meya  'irehiov  in  all 
general  descriptions  of  Palestine,  is  unquestionably 3  Esdraelon 
or  Jezreel ;  but  that  is  an  uninhabited  district,  and  was  so 
in  Josephus’  time.  It  was  a  neutral  district ;  it  had  no  inti¬ 
mate  relations  with  the  w7ar,  or  with  the  seat  of  war.  The 
province  of  the  governor  of  Galilee  lay,  in  a  strategic  sense, 
wholly  outside  of  it.  Esdraelon  had  no  part  to  play  in  those 
tumultuous  times,  which  stirred  all  Galilee  to  its  centre,  and 

1  Dr  E.  G.  Sclmltz,  Mittheilungen ,  uber  eine  Reise  durch  Samarien  und 
Galilda,  in  Zeitsch.  der  deutsch.  Morgenl.  Ges.  iii.  pp.  46-62. 

2  Wolcott,  in  Bib.  Sacra ,  1843,  p.  79 ;  v.  Eaurner,  Pal.  p.  115, 
Note  32. 

3  See  Zeitschrift ,  as  above,  p.  59. 


UPPER  AND  LOWER  GALILEE. 


383 


whose  most  crowded  centres  of  population  were  in  the  fruitful 
district  in  the  southern  part  of  the  province,  and  which  then 
and  now  was  dotted  with  villages.  This  part  of  the  province, 
compared  with  the  elevated  watershed  between  the  Mediter¬ 
ranean  and  the  Jordan  valley,  is  not,  strictly  speaking,  a 
plain  ;  and  yet  Josephus  may  have  had  in  mind,  when  calling 
it  by  that  name,  the  contrast  between  the  low  and  slightly 
rolling  Buttauf,  and  the  tracts  which  run  off  towards  the  east 
and  the  high  and  inaccessible  hills  of  the  north-west.  This 
district  of  Lower  Galilee  was  very  fruitful,  uncommonly 
well  tilled,  and  densely  populated ;  while  the  mountain-land 
of  the  north-west  served  as  a  strong  barrier  against  the 
attacks  of  enemies  coming  from  the  sea.  Among  the  for- 
tresses  which  crowned  the  line  of  hills  on  the  west  of  what 
Josephus  called  the  great  plain  of  Lower  Galilee, — meaning, 
as  it  now  seems,  the  comparatively  level  region  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  province, — he  mentioned  the  strongholds  of  Jafa, 
Sepphoris,  Ohabolo,  Jotapata,  Sogane,  Selamin,  Achbara, 
Seph,  and  Mero  (reckoning  from  south-west  towards  the 
north-east),  which  are  with  the  highest  probability  identified 
with  the  present  Yapha,  Xaloth  (Iksal),  Tarichsea,  Tiberias. 
The  u  great  plain  ”  spoken  of  by  Josephus,  at  its  south¬ 
western  portion,  approached  Sepphoris,  and  was  hence  some¬ 
times  known  by  that  name.  And  since  it  lay  in  the  territory 
of  Zebulun,1  whose  eastern  limit  was  Tabor,  it  was  also  called 
the  plain  of  Zebulun.  Since  the  time  of  the  Crusades,  its 
fertility  has  procured  for  it  the  name  el-Butthauf  or  Buttauf.2 

On  Bobinson’s  map  there  is  depicted,  north  of  Nazareth 
and  Sefurieh,  a  valley  coming  down  between  Kefr  Menda 
and  Cana  el  Jelil.  This  valley  divides  itself  at  the  north  into 
two  smaller  ones.  Schultz  tells  us  that,  at  the  point  of  bifurca¬ 
tion,  a  steep  ragged  cliff  rises,  called  Jebel  Jefat,  on  which 
stand  the  ruins  of  a  place  which  seems,  with  the  highest  pro¬ 
bability,  to  have  been  the  ancient  Jotapata,  in  which  Josephus 
took  his  final  refuge,  and  where  he  made  his  brave  stand 
against  the  Romans  under  Vespasian.  As  he  has  woven  so 

1  J.  v.  Hammer,  in  Wien.  Jailirh.  1836,  vol.  lxxiv.  p.  57. 

2  Sebast.  Pauli,  Codice  dipl.  i.  p.  162. 


384 


PALESTINE. 


many  particulars  regarding  the  situation  of  the  city  into  the 
exact  and  circumstantial  history  of  its  siege,  the  identity  of 
the  present  ruins  of  Jeff  at  with  Josephus’  Jotapata  may  be 
seen  not  only  in  the  surviving  though  contracted  name,  but  in 
the  physical  character  of  the  place,  and  its  distance  from  other 
known  points.  Schultz,  after  leaving  Nazareth,  came,  after 
passing  a  few  small  villages,  to  Rumman  eh.  From  this 
place  the  great  plain  el-Buttauf  extended  to  the  eastward. 
In  this  plain,  and  lying  near  its  southern  border,  he  discovered 
two  places  known  as  el-Ozair  and  Beni,  or,  more  correctly, 
el-Buaineh.  Kefr  Menda  lies  near  the  north  border  of  the 
plain,  and  east  of  it  is  Cana  el  Jelil.  Schultz’s  course 
took  him  north-eastwardly  over  this  plain,  and  then  north¬ 
wardly  over  the  ridge,  upon  whose  farther  side  he  dis¬ 
covered  Arabeh.  Thence  he  went  to  Sakhnin,  an  hour’s 
distance  westward,  or  the  twenty  stadia  which  Josephus 
described  Sogane  as  being  from  Araba.  Both  of  these  vil¬ 
lages  are  in  a  tolerably  flourishing  state. 


INDEX. 


Aaron’s  tomb  on  Mount  Hor,  i.  448. 
Abadiyeh,  ii.  289,  296. 

Abarim,  ridge  of,  iii.  2. 

Abel,  ii.  213. 

Abhira,  the  supposed  Ophir,  i.  111- 

120. 

Abiela,  ii.  300. 

Abil,  ii.  303. 

Abil  el  Kamh,  ii.  213. 

Abu  Dis  (Baliurim),  iii.  5,  iv.  213. 

—  Duweir,  iii.  327. 

—  Fares,  ii.  338. 

—  Kusheibeh,  i.  422. 

—  Obeidah,  ii.  293. 

—  Selime,  harbour  of,  i.  337. 

—  Shusheh,  ii.  268. 

—  Suweirah,  i.  178,  365,  371. 
Abulfeda,  i.  14. 

Aceldama,  iv.  165. 

Acre  (Ako,  Ptolemais),  its  history 
and  present  state,  iv.  361-368. 
Adorain,  iii.  222. 

Aduan  Arabs,  iii.  65,  78. 

Adummim,  iii.  10. 

ASla  (Elath),  i.  23,  24,  32,  35. 
ASlanitic  Gulf,  i.  71,  77. 

Afleh,  ii.  318. 

Afuleh,  ii.  319. 

Ai  (Chai,  Gai),  iv.  222. 

Aijalon,  iv.  221. 

Aijun  Musa  (Wells  of  Moses),  i.  364, 
365. 

Aila,  i.  421. 

Ain  Abus,  iv.  300. 

—  Akabe,  ii.  282. 

—  Bcdija,  iii.  74. 

—  Belat,  ii.  209. 

—  Dekar,  ii.  285. 

—  Duk,  iii.  18,  35. 

—  el  Akhdar,  i.  371. 

—  el  Asal,  iv.  303. 

—  el  Barbiereh,  ii.  209. 

VOL.  IV. 


Ain  el  Berideh,  ii.  262. 

—  el  Feshkhak,  iii.  61,  130. 

—  el  Hazuri,  ii.  200. 

—  el  Masiah,  ii.  209. 

—  el  Meiyiteh,  ii.  325. 

— -  el  Mundanwarali,  ii.  268. 

—  el  Weibeh.  See  Kadese. 

—  er  Radghah,  ii.  338. 

—  es  Serab,  ii.  209. 

—  es  Sultan,  iii.  16,  18,  33,  34. 

—  et  Tabighah  (supposed  Chorazin), 

ii.  277. 

—  et  Thahab,  ii.  209. 

—  et  Tin,  ii.  266,  271. 

—  Eyub  (Spring  of  Job),  ii.  272. 

—  Ferchan,  ii.  191. 

—  Fit,  ii.  196. 

—  Ghuweir,  iii.  81,  115. 

—  Hajla,  iii.  18,  47,  49. 

—  Haramiyeh,  iv.  295. 

—  Jalud,  ii.  325,  326. 

—  Jedi  (Jeddi,  Engedi),  iii.  61,  101, 

110-113. 

—  Kades,  i.  433,  443. 

—  Karim,  iv.  215. 

—  Kaun,  ii.  338. 

—  Keir,  ii.  285. 

—  Maliha,  i.  427. 

—  Sara,  iii.  120. 

—  Sgek,  iii.  78. 

—  Shakhab,  ii.  300. 

—  Shems  (Betlishemesh),  iii.  237, 

239,  241. 

—  Silwain,  the  fountain  of,  iv.  151; 

the  village  of,  171. 

—  Sinai,  iv.  294. 

—  Sitti  Mariam  (spring  of  Virgin 

Mary),  iv.  152-158. 

—  Terabeh,  iii.  81,  114,  115,  134, 

146. 

—  Yebrud,  iv.  294. 

Ajalon  (Jalon),  iii.  243. 

2  B 


386 


INDEX. 


Ajja,  iv.  323. 

Ajlan  (ancient  Eglon),  iii.  247,  248. 

Akaba,  described  by  Hupped,  i.  50, 
58  ;  the  island  of  Faroun,  and 
its  ruins,  72,  73  ;  the  Castle  on 
mainland,  by  Itobinson,  74. 

Akab  Jabar,  iii.  8. 

Akab  Jahor,  iii.  16. 

Akir  (Ekron),  iii.  221,  242. 

Akrabah,  ii.  345. 

Alawin  (Aluein)  Arabs,  i.  410. 

Alba  Specula  Castle,  iii.  223. 

Alexandrium,  ii.  343. 

Aleygat  Arabs,  i.  389. 

Almug  trees.  See  Sandalwood. 

Altir,  iii.  107. 

Altitudes  in  Palestine,  drawn  up  by 
Van  der  Yelde,  ii.  373-390. 

Alyka — Chapel  of  the  Burning  Bush 
at  Convent  of  St  Catherine,  i. 
235. 

Amalekites,  their  descent,  country, 
and  history,  ii.  141-144. 

Ameer  Arabs,  ii.  293. 

Ameime  (City  of  Cisterns),  ruins  of, 
i.  424. 

Ammonites,  their  descent,  country, 
history,  ii.  157. 

Amorites,  their  country,  ii.  124 ; 
their  contests  with  Israel,  126. 

Amwas  (Emmaus,  Nicopolis),  iii. 
222,  iv.  236. 

Anab,  iii.  107. 

Anabah,  iv.  235. 

Anderson,  Dr,  note  by,  on  Dead  Sea, 
iii.  171. 

Anathoth,  iii.  10,  iv.  217. 

Anizee  Arabs,  ii.  293. 

Antipatris  (Kefr  Saba),  iv.  244,  250. 

Antonia  of  Josephus,  iv.  108. 

Antoninus  Martyr,  i.  9,  10. 

Antus,  convent  on  Om  Shomar,  i. 
193. 

Avites,  their  country,  ii.  133. 

Aphik,  ii.  283. 

Apostles’  Spring,  iii.  7. 

Apples  of  Sodom,  iii.  19,  20. 

Arab  tribes  of  Sinai  Peninsula,  and 
their  characteristics,  i.  377-413. 

Arabs  in  the  Ghor  between  Sea  of 
Galilee  and  Dead  Sea,  iii.  55-57. 

Arab  bards,  iii.  78. 

Arabbunah,  ii.  330. 

Arabia  Petrsea.  See  Sinai  Peninsula. 

Arabian  writers  on  Sinai  Peninsula, 
i.  12. 

Arad,  i.  34. 

Aranuea  (Aram),  ii.  105. 

Araneh,  ii.  330. 


Arar  (Aroer),  springs  of,  i.  430. 

Arbela,  caves  of,  ii.  266. 

Arboth  Moab  (Araba,  Shittim),  iii.  2. 

Archelais,  ii.  345. 

Ard  el  Hammah,  ii.  295,  310. 

Ard  el  Mejel,  ii.  267. 

Ard  et  Tor,  or  Peninsula  of  Tor,  i. 
372. 

Areopolis  (Babbath  Moab),  i.  25,  33. 

Argob,  ii.  283,  284. 

Arimathaga,  iv.  215. 

Arindela,  i.  27,  33,  53. 

Arnon  river,  iii.  74,  75. 

Aroer  (Ararah),  i.  24,  35. 

Arsuf,  iv.  267. 

Ashdod  (Esdud,  Azotus),  iii.  221  ;  its 
present  state,  223  ;  its  history, 
225-228.  _ 

Ashkelon,  iii.  213  ;  excavations  in 
ruins  by  Lady  Hesther  Stan¬ 
hope,  214-216  ;  birth-place  of 
Herod,  216  ;  its  history,  217  ; 
its  idol  Dagon,  219. 

Ashkenazim  Jews,  ii.  262,  iv.  209. 

Ashtaroth,  ii.  125. 

Asluj  (Kasluj),  i.  431. 

Atara,  iv.  229,  294. 

Ataroth,  iii.  73. 

Athlit,  iv.  281  ;  its  ruins,  282-287. 

Attah,  ii.  291. 

Attarus,  iii.  73. 

Attir  (ancient  Jattir),  iii.  284. 

Authorities  on  Palestine,  list  of,  ii. 
22-78. 

Ayun  spring,  ii.  209. 

Azmet,  ii.  350. 

Azmut,  iv.  301. 

Babel  Mandeb,  i.  57. 

Balsam  or  balm  tree,  iii.  22. 

Balua,  iv.  245. 

Banias,  spring  of,  a  source  of  the 
Jordan,  ii.  161,  193 ;  castle  of, 
now  Subeibeh,  199. 

Barada  river,  ii.  17. 

Barghaz,  ii.  189. 

Barth,  Dr,  excursions  between  Jor¬ 
dan  and  Nablus,  ii.  347. 

Barygaza  in  Abliira,  supposed  port 
of  Ophir,  i.  112,  116,  118. 

Bashan,  ii.  125. 

Bathing-place  of  pilgrims  in  the  Jor¬ 
dan,  iii.  40-44. 

Bathn-nachl,  i.  42. 

Baths,  warm,  of  Hammam  Musa,  i. 
156  ;  of  Hammam  Faroun,  339; 
of  Gadara,  ii.  305. 

Beduin  Arabs,  i.  240,  337,  383,  397, 
400  ;  in  the  Ghor,  iii.  54-57. 


i 


INDEX. 


387 


Beir  Zeit,  iv.  245. 

Beisan  (Bethshean,  Scythopolis),  ii. 

291,  324,  331-336,  415. 
Beerskeba,  i.  28,  iii.  288. 

Beit  Ainun  (Bethanotk),  iii.  327. 

—  Hagar  (House  of  Hagar),  i.  432. 

—  Hanina,  iii.  234,  iv.  239. 

—  Ilfah  (Betkulia),  ii.  330. 

—  Jibrin  (Eleutheropolis),  iii.  249, 

—  Nettif,  iii.  238,  239. 

—  Hu  sib  (Nussib),  iii.  237,  239,  256. 

—  Nuba,  iv.  235. 

—  Sakur,  iii.  84. 

—  Taamar,  iii.  81. 

—  Tamar,  iii.  5. 

—  Ummar,  iii.  326,  329. 

Beit-Ur  (Betkkoron),  iv.  241. 
Beitima,  ii.  169. 

Beit  el  Janne,  ii.  169. 

Beitin  (Betkel),  iii.  36,  iv.  26,  225, 
226. 

Bekka,  valley  of,  ii.  164. 

Belad  Beskara,  ii.  189,  213. 

Belamek  (Belmak),  ii.  331. 

Belad  Skukif,  ii.  189. 

Bell  Mountains  (JebelNakus),  i.  161. 
Belled  en  Nassara,  i.  153,  154. 

Beni  el  Skam  Arabs,  i.  403. 

Beni  Hameide  Arabs,  iii.  66. 

Ben  Hinnom  valley,  iii.  81. 

Beni  Haim  village,  iii.  101,  102. 

Beni  Sakker  Arabs,  ii.  289,  293. 
Beni  Salem  Arabs,  ii.  350. 

Beni  Wassel  Arabs,  i.  392. 

Berein,  supposed  Eboda,  i.  54. 
Berket  el  Kkulil,  iii.  142. 

Bet  Dejan,  ii.  351. 

Betkany,  iii.  5,  iv.  24,  214, 
Betliarampktka  Julias,  ii.  257. 
Betkel.  See  Beitin. 

Betkesda  pool,  iv.  144,  156. 
Betkkogla,  iii.  47,  48. 

Betklekem,  iii.  135,  339-350  ;  Ckurck 
of  tlie  Nativity  at,  340  ;  its  situ¬ 
ation  and  climate,  340,  341  ;  its 
inkabitants,  342-345 ;  Ckurck 
of  St  Mary  at,  345-349. 
Betksaida  :  two  cities  of  tkis  name, 
ii.  233,  234.  See  Kkan  Minyek, 
269. 

Betksliemesk.  See  Ain  Skems. 
Betkulia  (Beit  Ufak),  ii.  330. 

Bet  Zur,  iii.  329,  330. 

Biblical  autkorities  on  Palestine,  ii. 
27-29. 

Bint  Jebeil,  ii.  164. 

Birek,  ii.  311. 

Bir,  wells  of,  i.  151 


Bir  el  Maleldi,  i.  430. 

Bir  es  Ozeiz,  iv.  242. 

Bir  es  Seba  (Beersheba),  iii.  288. 

Bir  es  Zaferanek,  iii.  101. 

Bir  et  Tkemed,  i.  427. 

Birket  el  Haj  (Pilgrim’s  Pool),  iv.  30. 

Birket  el  Kkalil,  iii.  118. 

Birket  er  Ram,  ii.  172,  178,  179. 

Birket  Faroun,  bay  of,  i.  337. 

Bk’ket  Hammam  Sitti  Mar  jam,  iv. 
30. 

Birlakairoi,  i.  432. 

Birsama  (Betkskemesli),  i.  32. 

Birsebhub,  iii.  108. 

Birskonnar,  Well  of,  i.  196. 

Biskoprics,  early,  of  Sinai  Penin¬ 
sula,  i.  7. 

Bostra,  ii.  198. 

Botany  of  Mount  St  Catlierine,  i. 
201  ;  of  Jericko,  iii.  19-26  ;  of 
Hebron,  iii.  296 ;  of  Jerusalem, 
iv.  184. 

Bottkin,  ii.  331. 

Boundaries  of  tribes  of  Israel,  iii. 
184-190. 

Bozrak,  i.  26,  ii.  137. 

Budj,  ii.  300. 

Bukali,  ii.  296. 

Burckkardt,  autkor’s  opinion  of  kim, 
i.  52  ;  kis  journey  across  Sinai 
Peninsula,  51-55;  kis  ascent  of 
Om  Skomar,  192  ;  of  Mount  St 
Catkerine,  194-200  ;  kis  know¬ 
ledge  of  Arab  tribes,  382. 

Burka,  iv.  327. 

Burkin,  iv.  329. 

Burj  el  Faria,  ii.  345. 

Burj  el  Humma,  iii.  84. 

Caesarea  Palestinse,  port  of  Jerusa¬ 
lem  formed  by  Herod,  its  ckurck 
history  and  its  ruins,  iv.  243, 
269-277. 

Caesarea  Pkilippi.  See  Banias,  ii. 
193. 

Callirrlioe,  batks  of,  iii.  67-69. 

Cana  of  Galilee,  its  site;  tliree  towns 
of  tkat  name,  iv.  378-380. 

Canaan,  origin  of  name,  ii.  106  ;  its 
inkabitants  related  to  tlie  Phoe¬ 
nicians,  106-112  ;  southern  and 
eastern  boundaries  of,  112-115; 
primitive  population  of,  115-129; 
tribes  living  outside  of,  130-159. 

Capernaum.  See  Tell  Hum. 

Capitolias,  ii.  281,  300. 

Capktkorim,  the,  iii.  262-268. 

Caravan  route  from  Aleppo  to  Me¬ 
dina,  ii.  12. 


388 


INDEX . 


Carmel,  Mount,  iv.  352-359  ;  its 
geology,  355  ;  its  convent,  355- 
359. 

Casium,  i.  40. 

Castle  of  Doves,  ii.  266,  268. 

Catherine,  St,  Convent  of,  i.  3,  6, 
178  ;  described  by  travellers, 
231-246. 

—  Mount  of,  194-202. 

Caves  of  Adullam  (Chereitun),  iii. 
96. 

Chapel  of  Moses  on  Sinai,  i.  210. 

Characmobra  (Kerek),  i.  25,  419. 

Cherbit  Szammera,  ii.  282. 

Cherith,  brook  of,  iii.  8. 

Chinnereth,  city  of,  ii.  257 ;  Sea  of. 
See  Galilee,  Sea  of. 

CJhirbet  Fassail  (Phasaelis),  ii,  346. 

Chisloth  Tabor,  ii.  312. 

Chorazin,  ii.  277. 

Churbel,  ii.  268. 

Chui’bet  Summer,  ii.  351. 

Cities  considered  sacred  by  the  Jews, 
ii.  260. 

Climate  of  Sinai  Peninsula,  i.  247, 
248  ;  at  Sea  of  Galilee,  ii.  240, 
252  ;  of  J ericho,  iii.  28  ;  at  Dead 
Sea,  140  ;  of  Bethlehem,  341 ; 
of  Jerusalem,  iv.  182,  183. 

Colchians,  origin  of  the,  iii.  260. 

Colzum,  i.  47,  365. 

Conies,  the,  iii.  79. 

Convents  in  Sinai  Peninsula,  i,  227, 
231,  239,  314,  449  ;  on  Mount 
Karantal,  iii.  39 ;  in  plain  of 
Jericho,  43-45  ;  of  Mar  Saba, 
86-91  ;  of  Carmel,  iv.  354-359  ; 
of  Nazareth,  iv.  371. 

Copper  mines  of  W  adi  Nasb,  i.  348. 

Coral  reefs  in  Red  Sea,  i.  162-166. 

Cosmas  Indicopleustes  the  first  tra¬ 
veller  in  footsteps  of  Israel,  i.  7. 

Costigan,  his  attempt  to  navigate  the 
Dead  Sea,  iii.  125. 

—  Point,  iii.  139. 

Crusades,  'Palestine  during  the,  ii. 
39-43. 

Crusaders  in  Sinai  Peninsula,  i.  6, 
415-418. 

Dabira  (Deberath),  ii.  314. 

Daer  Senin,  iii.  213. 

Dagon,  idol  of,  iii.  219. 

Dahab,  supposed  Eziongeber,  i.  62- 
64. 

Dahlak,  i.  98. 

Dalmanutha,  ii.  263. 

Damascus,  roads  to,  ii.  167-176. 

Dan,  i.  28,  ii.  205-207. 


Dandora  (Tantura,  the  ancient  Dor), 
its  mussels  from  whence  came 
the  purple  dye,  iv.  278-281. 

Dareya,  ii.  170. 

Darfureck,  plain  of,  i.  49. 

David’s  Well,  iii.  340,  341 ;  Grave  of, 
iv.  56. 

Dead  Sea,  shores  of,  iii.  58-62 ; 
Seetzen’s  journey  along  shores 
of,  64-79  ;  water  of,  60,  112  ; 
attempts  to  navigate  the  sea, 
124-130 ;  official  report  of 
Lynch’s  expedition,  130-150;  sul¬ 
phureous  smell  of,  136;  sound¬ 
ings  and  temperature  of,  147, 
148  ;  depression  of  surface,  150, 
151,  168,  169 ;  salt  of,  161  ; 
vapour  clouds  of,  159,  161;  gene¬ 
ral  results  from  our  knowledge 
of,  150-173. 

Debbe,  pass  of,  i.  49. 

Debbet  en  Nasb,  i.  330. 

Debbet  er  Ramleh,  plain  of,  i.  343. 

Debir,  iii.  256  (Kirjath  Sepher). 

Deir  Diwan,  iv.  222. 

Deir  Dosi  Convent,  iii.  81. 

Deir  Dubban,  the  supposed  Gath, 
iii.  249-252. 

Deir  el  Aades,  ii.  286. 

Deir  el  Hatab,  ii.  301,  350. 

Deir  Ibu  Obeid,  iii.  84. 

Delhemiyeh,  ii.  296. 

Derakit,  ii.  187. 

Derb  Serieh  (Path  of  Moses),  i.  189, 
190. 

Desert  et  Tih  Beni  Israel,  i.  360. 

Dhafory,  i.  337. 

Dhoheriyeh  (ancient  Beth  Zacharia), 
iii.  193,  288,  289. 

Diban,  iii.  74. 

Diodorus  Siculus,  i.  19,  iii.  152. 

Dionysius  of  Alexandria,  i.  5. 

Dizahab,  i.  63. 

Doerayan,  ii.  283. 

Dothan,  ii.  331. 

Dshurf  el  Gerar,  i.  430. 

Dukah,  ii.  232. 

Dura  (ancient  Adoraim),  iii.  258. 

Earthquake  of  1837,  its  effects  in 
north  of  Palestine,  ii.  248. 

Ebal,  iv.  302. 

Eboda  (Ebuda,  Abdah),  i.  38,  373. 

Ed-Dahy,  ii.  318. 

Ed-Daumeh,  village,  iii.  290. 

Ed-Deir,  convent  on  Mount  Hor,  i. 
449. 

Ed-Dirweh  (Bethzur),  iii.  328. 

Ed-Dhoheriyeh,  iii.  193. 


INDEX. 


389 


Edomites  (Idumseans),  i.  26,  429  ; 
their  descent,  country,  and  his¬ 
tory,  ii.  135-141. 

Edrei,  ii.  125. 

Edrisi,  i.  14. 

Ehrenberg  on  vegetable  life  of  the 
lied  Sea,  i.  163;  on  animal  life 
of  Dead  Sea,  iii.  169. 

Ehteim  Arabs  described  by  Seetzen, 
iii.  37-39,  85. 

Egyptian  ruins  in  Wadi  Nasb,  i.  353. 
Ekron,  iii.  213. 

Elah  valley,  iii.  240. 

El-Aal,  ii.  2S4. 

El-Ahedar,  i.  302. 

El-Ahsa  river,  iii.  123. 

El-Ain,  valley  of,  i.  70,  375. 
El-Akaba,  spring  of,  iv.  227. 

El- Alya,  iv.  225. 

El-Arbain,  valley  and  convent  of,  i. 

173,  174,  184,  227,  246. 
El-Arish,  i.  40. 

El -Arad j,  ii.  232. 

El-Ahtha,  plain,  i,  366. 

El-Aujeh,  ii.  346. 

El-Aziriyeh  (Bethany),  iii.  5,  iv.  214. 
El-Batiheh,  ii.  231. 

El-Bekaah  (Bohah),  where  are  the 
ruins  of  Baalbec,  ii.  185. 
El-Bireh  (Beeroth),  iii.  229,  iv.  227. 
El-Birka,  i.  199. 

El-Botthin  (Batanrea,  Bashan),  ii.  2S1. 
El-Bueb,  or  the  Gate,  i.  181,  301. 
El-Buk’ah,  ii.  289,  299. 

El-Bukeiah,  iii.  86. 

El-Burj  Azzil,  iv.  294. 

El-Buttauf,  iv.  370. 

El-Daba,  i.  421,  422. 

El-Derb  Serbal.  See  Wadi  Aleiat. 
El-Dhelel,  i.  199. 

El-Djoze,  i.  199. 

El-Ge’ah,  i.  299. 

El-Gennain,  i.  302. 

El-Gliuwein  (ancient  Anim),  iii.  284. 
El-Ghuweir,  or  Little  Ghor,  ii.  267. 
El-Ghujar,  ii.  212. 

El-Hesmih,  ancient  Hashmonah,  or 
Azmon,  i.  75. 

El-Hessue,  i.  329,  330,  ii.  286. 
El-Hossn,  ii.  221,  283. 

El-Hudhera  (Hazeroth),  i.  371. 
El-Huleh  (Lake  Merom),  ii.  209,  210; 

its  level,  226. 

El-Humr,  i.  184. 

El-Jib  (Gibeon),  iii.  229. 

—  plain  of,  iv.  241. 

El-Jish,  iv.  381. 

El-Kaa,  plain  of,  i.  157,  200. 
El-Kebur,  ii.  285. 


El-Kerma,  ii.  292. 

El-Khalil,  iv.  64. 

El-Khiyam,  ii.  212. 

El-Khude,  iii.  332. 

El-Kordhye,  plain  of,  i.  366. 
El-Korriat,  iii.  72. 

El-Kubab,  iv.  235. 

El-Kura,  iii.  73. 

El-Kustul,  iii.  234,  235. 

El-Lejjun  (Legio  or  Megiddo),  iv. 
268. 

El-Mellahah,  spring  of,  a  head-water 
of  the  Jordan,  ii.  209. 
El-Mersed,  iii.  112. 

El-Mesadiyih,  ii.  232. 

El-Mezraah,  peninsula,  iii.  123  ;  vil¬ 
lage  of,  iv.  348. 

El-Milh  (Molada,  JVlalatha),  iii.  283. 
El-Muchna,  ii.  352. 

El-Mukrah,  i.  375. 

El-Mureikhy,  pass  of,  i.  375. 
El-Nakhl,  i.  371,  372. 

El-Noweyba,  i.  69. 

El-Odjme,  i.  199. 

El-Oja,  ii.  337. 

El-Rabua,  ii.  294. 

El-Rakineh,  pass  of,  i.  375. 

El-Shder,  iii.  74. 

El-Szanamein,  ii.  300. 

Eli  Smith’s  itinerary  from  Jaffa  to 
Jerusalem,  iv.  234. 

Elim.  See  Wady  Gharundel. 

El-Tor  or  Tur,  which  see. 

El-Ujah  (Aujeh),  ii.  348. 

Elusa  (el-Kulasah),  i.  34,  373. 
Emmaus,  iv.  215. 

Endor,  ii.  316,  319. 

Engedi,  wilderness  of,  iii.  109. 

—  city  of  (Hazazon  Tamar),  111-113. 
En-Taamirah,  iii.  81. 

Ephraim  (Ephron),  iii.  10. 
Episcopates  in  Arabia  Petrsea,  i.  28, 
33. 

Er-Raha,  plain  of,  supposed  by  Ro¬ 
binson  to  be  the  place  where 
Israel  encamped  when  the  Law 
was  given,  i.  178,  180,  182,  226. 
Er-Ram  (Ramah),  iv.  216,  217,  230. 
Er-Rameh,  iv.  328. 

Er-Ramleh,  i.  371. 

Er-Ruhaibeh,  i.  373. 

Esdud,  iii.  213,  224. 

Esdraelon  (Jezreel),  plain  of,  ii.  314, 
315,  317,  322,  iv.  333,  343-350. 
Eshcol,  iii.  258,  298. 

Eshtemoh,  iii.  285. 

Etam  (Etham),  iii.  93,  337. 

Et-Tell,  ii.  230,  232,  iv.  295. 
Et-Teym,  iii.  73. 


390 


INDEX. 


Et-Tili,  range  of,  i.  42,  199. 

Eusebius,  ii.  31. 

Ezbuba,  iv.  330. 

Eziongeber,  i.  64,  91,  92. 

Earan  (Pharan),  i.  17,  304. 

Eassail,  ii.  337. 

Eatb  Allab,  ii.  293. 

Eeik,  ii.  283,  284. 

Eellabs  or  fellabin  Arabs,  i.  383,  412. 
Fendekumieh,  iv.  328. 

Finek,  iv.  235. 

First  churches  in  Palestine,  ii.  33. 
Frank  expeditions  into  Arabia,  i. 
416-418. 

—  mountain,  iii.  95. 

Fukuah,  ii.  330. 

Fuleh,  ii.  319,  320. 

Gadara  (Om  Keis),  ii.  299-303. 
Galilee,  Sea  of  (Cinnereth,  Tiberias, 
Genuesareth),  its  names,  ii.  235  ; 
its  level,  extent,  depth,  237 ; 
its  climate,  240,  252 ;  geology 
of  district,  241-245 ;  hot  salt 
springs,  246-248 ;  fish  of  lake, 
250 ;  storms  on,  251,  252 ;  west 
and  north-west  shores  of,  253 ; 
south  and  south-east  side  of,  278. 

—  a  division  of  Holy  Land,  physical 

character  of,  iii.  198-200  ;  limits 
of  province,  and  boundaries  of 
tribes  of  Israel  in  it,  iv.  332-340. 
Galilee  of  the  Romans,  341-343 ;  the 
country  of,  from  Jordan  basin  to 
Mediterranean  coast,  343-382  ; 
our  present  knowledge  of  its 
interior,  380-384. 

Garden  of  Sinai  Convent,  i.  427. 
Gath,  iii.  213,  222,  250. 

Gaulonitis,  ii.  196,  284. 

Gaza,  i.  40 ;  its  history,  iii.  205-211 ; 

its  port  Majumas,  212. 

Gebim,  iv.  218. 

Gennesareth,  plain  of,  ii.  267,  410. 

—  Sea  of.  See  Galilee,  Sea  of. 
Geography  of  Palestine,  ii.  1-21 ;  early 

Gentile  authorities  on,  23,  26 ; 
Jewish  authorities  on,  27-30. 
Geographical  positions  of  localities 
in,  according  to  Van  de  Yelde, 
iii.  359-372.. 

Geology  of  Sinai,  i.  265. 

—  of  upper  route  from  Suez  to  Sinai, 

34fi.3P>‘> 

—  of  Galilee,  ii.  241-246. 

—  of  district  between  Jerusalem  and 

Jericho  and  of  south  of  Pales¬ 
tine,  iii.  12-14. 


Geology  of  Head  Sea  coasts,  iii.  76,  77. 
—  of  Mount  Carmel,  iv.  355. 
Geological  character  of  Palestine,  iii. 
196. 

Gerar,  i.  30,  374,  430. 

Gerizim,  Mount,  the  ruins  on  it,  and 
the  sacrifices  offered  there  by  the 
Samaritans,  iv.  302-309. 
Gethsemane,  its  olive  trees,  iv.  169. 
Ghawarineh  Arabs,  ii.  232. 

Ghor,  ii.  281,  289,  iii.  1. 

Ghor,  Lower,  ii.  298. 

Ghor  el  Belka,  iii.  64. 

Ghor  es  Safieli,  iii.  76. 

Gibeah  of  Saul  (Tell  el  Full),  iv.  217, 
219  231. 

Gibeon  (Djeb),  ii.  124,  iii.  230. 
Gibeonites,  a  remnant  of  the  Amor- 
ites,  ii.  125. 

Giblites  of  Gebal,  ii.  215. 

Gihon,  valley  and  pools,  iv.  69-77,164. 
Gilboa  (Jelbon,  Jelbun,  Jebel 
Fukuah),  ii.  328,  329. 

Gilgal,  iii.  40,  45,  46. 

Gilgoul,  iv.  268. 

Gipsies  in  Magdala,  ii.  264. 

Girdan,  plain  of,  i.  364. 

Girgashites,  their  country,  ii.  127. 
Gold  of  Ophir,  i.  80,  81,  127-134. 
Gomorrah,  iii.  138. 

Gomsude,  i.  164. 

f 

Hadji  en  Rukkab  (Knights’  Rock), 
i.  364. 

Hadj  Musa,  i.  230. 

Hadra  (Hazeroth),  i.  67. 

Hai  stations  between  Suezand  Akaba, 
i.  43-45. 

Hajaja  Arabs,  iii.  65. 

Haifa  (Kliaifa,  Kepha),  iv.  360. 
Haiwat  Arabs,  i.  49,  405. 
Hammamek,  iii.  221. 

Hammam  Faroun  mountains,  i.  338 ; 
hot  springs,  339. 

Hammam  Musa  hot  springs,  i.  156. 
Hammet  er  Rih,  ii.  304. 

Hammam  es  Shefat  baths,  iv.  87. 
Hammet  es  Sheikh  hot  springs,  ii. 
304. 

Haram  of  Hebron  (cave  of  Mack- 
pelah),  iii.  291,  305-316. 
Harbours  on  west  coast  of  Sinai, 
i.  159. 

Harde,  i.  302. 

Hasbeya,  ii.  161,  165 ;  account  of, 
186-190. 

Hasmeh,  iv.  218. 

Hattin,  ii.  310. 

Hauran,  ii.  221,  300,  303. 


INDEX. 


391 


Hawara,  iv.  301. 

Haydar,  plain  of,  i.  66. 

Iiazuri  (Hazor),  ii.  200,  214 ;  opinion 
of  Ritter  as  to  its  site,  221-225. 

Hebron,  ii.  122,  iii.  193  ;  its  present 
state  and  bistory,  290-323  ;  sup¬ 
posed  cave  of  Machpelah,  291, 
305-310;  visitors  to,  311-316; 
its  grapes,  297 ;  Abraham’s  oak, 
298  ;  legends  of  old  sites  there, 
296,  302 ;  the  Luar,  303 ;  present 
population  and  their  occupations, 
317-323. 

—  vale  of,  iii.  256. 

Hebrews,  land  of,  why  and  when 
so  called,  ii.  105. 

Heights,  absolute,  of  localities  on 
west  side  of  Jordan,  ii.  355; 
relative,  of  do.  above  surround¬ 
ing  districts,  ii.  356. 

—  in  Samaria,  iv.  292. 

Helena,  the  Empress,  in  Palestine, 

ii.  33. 

Helu-ford  on  Jordan,  iii.  44,  49,  52. 

Hereir,  river,  ii.  300. 

Hereibe,  ii.  190. 

Hererat,  ruins  of  convent,  i.  303. 

Hermon.  See  Jebel  es  Sheikh. 

Herodium,  iii.  95,  96. 

Herod,  his  birth-place,  iii.  216. 

Heshbon,  river  of,  iii.  49. 

Hibel  el  Hawa,  ii.  190. 

Hinnom  valley,  iv.  164. 

Hippicus,  tower  of,  iv.  66. 

Hippos,  ii.  281,  283. 

Hiram  of  Tyre,  i.  137. 

Hittites,  the,  ii.  121-123. 

Hivites,  ii.  123,  124. 

Hor,  mount,  i.  447 ;  view  from,  448, 
451 ;  ed-Deir,  convent  on,  449. 

Horeb  (Chorif),  Mount,  ascent  of, 
i.  204,  207,  226,  328. 

Horites,  their  country,  ii.  133. 

Horrnah  (Zephath),  i.  431. 

Hot  springs,  i.  156,  339,  ii.  245,  304, 

iii.  66,  77. 

Howara,  well  of,  supposed  Marah, 
i.  367,  368. 

Howeytat  Arabs,  i.  52,  408. 

Huj,  iii.  246. 

Hulhul,  iii.  326. 

Hunin,  castle  of,  ii.  214. 

Husasah,  iii.  114. 

Ibl  (Hibl,  Abel),  ii.  212. 

Idna  (Jedna),  iii.  256. 

Idumseans,  i.  2. 

Ijon  (Merj  Ayun),  ii.  213. 

Iksal,  iv.  348. 


India,  i.  122,  142. 

Irbid  (Irbil),  supposed  Arbel  or  Beth 
Arbel,  ii.  266. 

Isstachri,  i.  12. 

Itinerarium  Antonini,  i.  27,  39. 
Ivory,  i.  122,  142. 

Jabbok  ford  (Kalaat  Serka),  ii.  228. 
Jabneh  (Jebna),  iii.  222,  242,  244. 
Jacob’s  bridge,  ii.  174,  228. 

—  well,  iv.  301,  317-319. 

J a’deh  or  hyssop,  i.  1 90. 

Jaffa,  iii.  245,  iv.  243. 

Jalije  Arabs,  i.  202,  242,  3S4. 

Jalud,  ii.  344,  349. 

Jamea  Elabidh,  or  Church  of  the 
Forty  Martyrs,  iv.  263,  264. 
Jattir,  iii.  107. 

Jeba,  iii.  238,  iv.  219,  231. 

Jebata,  iv.  376. 

Jebein,  village  of,  ii.  2S4,  285. 

Jebel,  village  of,  i.  153,  154. 

Jebel  Ajloun,  ii.  294. 

—  Araif,  i.  374,  375. 

—  Arbel,  ii.  185. 

—  Attarus,  iii.  73. 

—  Attika,  i.  369. 

—  Belka,  iii.  31. 

—  Beyane,  i.  54. 

—  Chalil,  iii.  194. 

—  Debbe,  i.  303. 

—  ed  Deir,  i.  185,  191. 

—  el  Daky  (Lesser  Hermon),  ii.  309, 

316,  318,  319. 

—  el  Fureidis,  iii.  94. 

—  el  Ghubsheh,  i.  184. 

—  el  Khirm,  i.  432. 

—  el  Kods,  iii.  194. 

—  esh  Sharkie,  ii.  163. 

—  es  Sheikh  (Hermon),  ii.  161,  163, 

167,  181,  184. 

—  Ebestemi,  i.  181. 

—  Fera,  i.  179. 

—  Fureia,  i.  180,  266,  269. 

—  Gilboa,  ii.  309. 

—  Guddus,  ii.  348. 

—  Hallal,  i.  432. 

—  Hardhe,  i.  302. 

—  Hammarn,  i.  340. 

—  Hauran,  ii.  300. 

—  Heish,  ii.  161,  168,  284. 

—  Hemam,  i.  200. 

—  Homr,  i.  346. 

—  How  (el-Haui),  i.  182. 

—  Hunin,  ii.  214. 

—  Jura  (Jeidur),  ii.  196. 

—  Ku.la,  i.  52. 

- —  Kuleib,  ii.  221. 

—  Menega,  i.  302. 


392 


INDEX. 


Jebel  Merura  Jubba,  ii.  198. 

—  Mokatteb  or  Himam,  Valley  of 

Inscriptions,  i.  160 ;  described 
by  Burckbardt  and  others,  331- 
336. 

—  Musa,  group  of,  described,  i.  177- 

188. 

—  Musa,  paths  traversing,  188-191. 

—  Nakus,  or  Bell  Mountain,  i.  161. 

—  Nash,  i.  347. 

—  Oef,  i.  269. 

—  Rakab,  i.  55. 

— -  Bicha,  iii.  176. 

—  Safed,  ii.  166. 

—  Sanin,  ii.  165. 

—  Sebaijeh  or  Meraga,  i.  186. 

—  Serabit,  i.  330. 

—  Serbal,  i.  176. 

—  Shera,  i.  423. 

—  Shereyk,  i.  182. 

—  Tih,  i.  347,  372,  375. 

—  Tor  (Tabor),  ii.  311-31S. 

—  Usait,  i.  340. 

—  Wutah,  i.  343. 

—  Yelek,  i.  432. 

Jebusites,  the,  ii.  128. 

Jedur  (Iturea),  ii.  286,  302. 

Jeddur,  iii.  326. 

Jedye,  ii.  2S6. 

Jefna,  iv.  293,  294. 

Jehalin  Arabs,  i.  407. 

Jehoshaphat,  valley  of,  iii.  81,  82,  iv. 

168,  176. 

Jelameh,  ii.  330. 

Jelbon,  ii.  330. 

Jenin  (Ginoea),  ii.  329,  iv.  328. 
Jericho,  its  early  history,  iii.  1,  33 ; 
roads  to,  from  Jerusalem,  4-10 ; 
geology  of  district,  12-15 ;  castle 
of,  and  aqueducts,  17,  29-32  ; 
botany  of,  19-27  ;  climate,  28  ; 
changes  in,  32,  33 ;  present  in¬ 
habitants  of,  35. 

Jerusalem,  its  ancient  names,  iv.  3. 
Its  topography,  earliest  authorities 
on,  1-8 ;  latest  authorities  on, 
8-18  ;  plans  and  maps  of  city, 
11-14  ;  site  of  city,  18-21 ;  view 
of,  from  Mount  of  Olives,  21-28. 
Circuit  of  present  walls,  29-98,  and 
objects  there  seen,  as  Jews’  wail¬ 
ing-place,  50,  51  ;  Mount  Zion, 
54  ;  grave  of  David,  54-58 ; 
Jews’  quarter,  58 ;  Armenian 
convent,  62  ;  castle  of  David, 
62,  64-67  ;  Hippicus  tower,  66  ; 
Gihon  valley  and  pools,  69-77  ; 
Hammam  es  Shefat  baths,  87. 
Gates  of  city.  Stephen’s  gate,  31  ; 


Jerusalem- 

Golden  gate,  32  ;  Dung  gate,  49; 
Zion  gate,  53 ;  Jaffa  gate,  63 ; 
Damascus  gate,  79,  83-85  ; 

Herod’s  gate,  97. 

Interior  of  city,  99-121  ;  its  streets, 
100-104  ;  Antonia  of  Josephus, 
temple  site,  and  discussion  there¬ 
on,  106-112;  Omar  Mosque,  112- 
121. 

Christian  quarter.  Site  of  Holy 
Sepulchre  and  Golgotha,  discus¬ 
sion  thereon,  122-142. 

Water  supply  of  city,  87-96  and 
142-158  ;  Bethesda,  144,  156  ; 
well  of  Rogel,  145-148 ;  fountain 
of  Siloah  (Siloam),  148-151 ;  Ain 
Silwain,  151 ;  Ain  Sitti  Mariam, 
152-158.  Objects  in  city  worthy 
of  further  exploration,  159. 
Ancient  necropolis  around  Jerusa¬ 
lem,  161-181. 

Climate  ancl  soil,  182,  183 ;  botany, 
184-187  ;  animals,  187,  188. 

Its  inhabitants  and  sects,  192-212  ; 
Mohammedans,  192 ;  Greek 
Church,  194  ;  Georgians,  196  ; 
Armenians,  1 98  ;  Syrians,  200  ; 
Copts  and  Abyssinians,  201  ; 
Roman  Catholic,  204  ;  English 
Church,  206 ;  American  Mission, 
207  ;  Jews  in  city,  209-212. 
Jesor  (Jazur),  supposed  Azor,  iii.  245. 
J'ezreel,  spring  of,  ii.  321. 

—  plain  of.  See  Esdraelon. 

— -  city  of.  See  Zerin. 

Jezzin,  ii.  189. 

Jibea,  iv.  294. 

Jibna,  iv.  245. 

Jiljilia,  iv.  295. 

Jiljulieh,  iv.  249. 

Jilaad  es  Szalt,  ii.  336. 

Jimzu  (Gimzo),  iv.  241. 

Job’s  fountain,  iv.  235. 

Jolan  (Gaulonitis),  ii.  196,  284,  300. 
Joppa,  the  port  of  Jerusalem,  its 
past  history  and  present  condi¬ 
tion,  iv.  253-259. 

Jordan,  river,  ii.  14,  20. 

—  its  sources:  (1.)  the  Nahr  Has- 

bany  river,  161,  186,  203  ;  (2.) 
the  Banias  spring,  193;  (3.)  Tell 
el  Kadi  spring,  201  ;  (4.)  other 
head-waters  of,  209. 

—  boat  exploration  of,  by  Molyneux, 

288-294  ;  by  Lynch,  294-299  ; 
tributaries  of,  300. 

—  bathing-place  of  pilgrims  in,  iii. 

40-44. 


INDEX. 


393 


Jordan — its  inundations  and  fords, 
50-53. 

—  its  junction  with  Dead  Sea,  54, 

154. 

Josephus,  ii.  29,  154,  iv.  106,  246, 
340. 

Joseph’s  tomb,  iv.  319. 

Joshua,  his  conquests  in  Palestine, 
iii.  325. 

Jssr  el  Medjamea,  ii.  280,  290. 
Judsea,  physical  aspectof,  iii.  194-196. 

—  hill  cities  of,  iii.  324-331. 

Jumah,  ii.  298. 

Jurish,  ii.  344. 

Jurmuk  (Jarmuth),  iii.  239. 

Kaabineh  Arabs,  iii.  108. 

Kabelan,  ii.  350. 

Kadese  (Kadesh),  site  of,  discussed, 
i.  425-433. 

Kadesh,  wilderness  of,  i.  432. 
Kadmonites,  the,  ii.  147. 

Kafr  Berdoweil,  ii.  284. 

—  Hajla,  iii.  18,  47. 

—  Kallin,  iv.  301. 

Kakon,  iii.  31. 

Kakun,  iv.  268,  269. 

Kalaat  el  Dem  (Adummim),  iii.  10. 

■ —  el  Hossn,  ii.  281. 

—  Ibn  Maan,  ii.  265. 

Kalla  et  Tor,  i.  153,  154. 

Kanaby,  ii.  185. 

Kannir,  iv.  268. 

Kanneytra,  ii.  167,  172,  280. 
Kanoytor,  rock  inscriptions,  i.  177. 
Karn  Surtabeh,  ii.  343,  iii.  53. 
Karijut  (Korea;),  ii.  342,  345,  349. 
Karyat  el  Kurd,  iii.  6. 

Karyet  el  Enab,  iv.  238. 

Karyat  el  Chan  Hudrur,  iii.  6. 
Katar  Hadije,  iii.  47. 

Katieh,  i.  40. 

Kaukabah,  ii.  189. 

Kedesh  Naphtali,  ii.  217. 

Kedron  river,  iii.  81. 

—  valley  of,  iv.  25. 

Kefarat,  ii.  301. 

Kefr  Addan,  iv.  329. 

—  Hareb,  ii.  283. 

—  Istunah,  ii.  342,  350. 

—  Kenna,  ii.  310. 

—  Kud,  iv.  329. 

_  el  Kuk,  ii.  184. 

—  Kulin,  iv.  301. 

—  Menda,  iv.  378,  384. 

_  Saba,  iv.  249-252. 

_  Sabt,  ii.  310. 

Kenites,  history  of,  ii.  144-146. 
Kenizzites,  account  of,  ii.  146. 


Kerak,  village  of,  ii.  279. 

Kerek  (Petra  Deserti),  capital  of 
Edom,  i.  25,  418,  iii.  119-123, 
145. 

Kerek,  river,  iii.  119. 

Khalassa  (ancient  Chesil),  i.  431. 
Khan  el  Akabeh,  ii.  280,  282. 

—  Denur,  ii.  286. 

—  Ezzeiat,  ii.  286. 

—  Hashbeya,  ii.  189. 

—  Hathur,  iii.  10. 

—  el  Hatrum,  iii.  9. 

—  el  Houl,  iii.  9. 

—  Hudbrur,  iii.  7. 

—  el  Lubban,  iv.  296. 

—  Legoun,  iv.  269. 

—  Minyeh  (Bethsaida),  ii.  269-271. 

—  es  Sahil,  iii.  10. 

—  Tudjar,  ii.  310,  312. 

Khasneh,  or  rock  treasury  of  Petra, 

i.  438-440. 

Khulaseh  (Elusa),  i.  427. 

Kliureitun,  labyrinth  of,  iii.  96-98. 
Khuweilifeh,  well  of,  iii.  288. 

Kilkel,  iii.  340. 

Kirbet  el  Gerar,  i.  431. 

Kirjatliaim,  iii.  73. 

Kirjath-jearim  (Kuriet  el  Enab),  iii. 

229,  233,  242,  iv.  233. 

Kirjath  Sepher,  iii.  257. 

Kishon  stream,  ii.  311. 

—  its  tributaries,  iv.  343-350. 
Kolzum,  gulf  of,  i.  13,  64. 

Koros,  plain  of,  i.  48. 

Kosem,  milage  of,  ii.  286. 

Kosseir,  i.  57. 

Kubatiyeh,  iv.  329. 

Kubeibeh,  iii.  248. 

Kubelan,  iv.  300. 

Kudeirah,  iv.  222. 

Kudna,  iii.  252. 

Kulensawe,  iv.  268. 

Kulonieh,  iii.  229,  iv.  239. 

Kumieh,  ii.  318. 

Kurahy,  iii.  77. 

Kuriat  el  Kurd,  iii.  6. 

Kuriat  el  Chan  Hudrur,  iii.  6,  9. 
Kurmul,  its  ruins,  iii.  105. 

Kurun  Hattin,  ii.  266,  310. 

Kuza,  iv.  300. 

Laborde,  his  journey  from  Aila  to 
Petra,  i.  421. 

Lanneau’s  itinerary  from  Jerusalem 
to  Jaffa,  iv.  234. 

Latitude  and  longitude  of  places  in 
Palestine  according  to  Van  de 
Velde,  ii.  359-372. 

Lebanon,  ii.  17-19. 


394 


INDEX. 


Latron,  iv.  236,  238. 

Ledja,  vale  of,  i.  94,  189,  227,  230. 
Legends  of  Arabs  in  connection  with 
Sinai,  i.  210,  211,  227,  228. 
Legio,  iv.  349. 

Leimun  Lnt  (Lot’s  Lemon),  iii.  21. 
Library  of  Sinai  Convent,  i.  237. 
Lifta,  village  of,  iv.  239. 

Litany,  river  of,  ii.  165. 

Lot,  use  of,  in  early  division  of  land, 
iii.  181,  182. 

Lubban,  i.  299. 

Lud  (Lydda),  iv.  240. 

Lynch,  his  boat  voyage  on  lower 
Jordan,  ii.  294-299  ;  voyage  on 
Dead  Sea,  iii.  130-150. 

Maarath,  iii.  329. 

Maaz  Arabs,  i.  408. 

Machpelah,  cave  of,  iii.  305-316. 
Macrizi,  i.  17,  IS. 

Madeba,  iii.  73. 

Madmenah,  iv.  218. 

Magdala,  ii.  263,  264. 

Malays,  i.  119. 

Manadra,  valley  of,  ii.  281. 

Manna  of  Sinai  desert  discussed,  i. 
271-292. 

Maon  (Main),  i.  424,  iii.  105,  2S6. 
Marah,  well  of,  i.  366. 

Mar  Saba,  convent  of,  iii.  31,  86-91. 
Masada  (Sebbeh),  iii.  116,  117. 
Maundrell,  Henry,  travels  of,  ii.  50. 
Maximianopolis,  ii.  324. 

Mazarah,  ii.  196. 

Medan,  ii.  174. 

Medj  Ayun,  ii.  1S9. 

Megiddo,  ii.  317,  iv.  330. 

Meithalon,  ii.  345. 

Mejel,  village  of,  ii.  168,  263. 

Mejdel,  iii.  221. 

Me j  del  Yaba,  iv.  248. 

Mellahah,  ii.  187. 

Menadhere  Arabs,  ii.  300. 
Menetisheh,  iii.  94. 

Menoida,  i.  32. 

Merassrass,  ii.  30S. 

Merj  Ibn  Amer,  ii.  317. 

Merj  Ayun,  ii.  207,  208. 

Merj  Ibn  Omeir,  iv.  235,  242. 
Merom,  lake  of  (el-Huleh),  ii.209, 210. 
Meshrae,  iii.  132. 

Mesraa  es  Safieh,  iii.  77. 

Mezeine  Arabs,  i.  390,  397. 

Mezar,  ii.  330. 

Mezereib,  ii.  300. 

Mines  of  Wadi  Nasb,  i.  348-350. 
Minna  Dahab,  i.  64. 

Minyeh  Ivhan,  ii.  266,  269-271. 


Mirzah,  ii.  316. 

Mizpeh.  See  Neby  Samwil. 

Mkaur  (Machaerus),  iii.  65,  70. 

Mkes  (Omkeis),  ii.  281. 

Moab,  plains  of,  ii.  152. 

Moabites,  their  history,  ii.  148-156. 
Mohala,  mountains  of,  i.  179. 
Mohilahi  Hajar  (Hagar’s  well),  i. 
432. 

Mojet  Nimri,  iii.  76. 

Mokad  Seidna  Musa  (Moses’  resting- 
place),  i.  261. 

Moladah,  i.  36. 

Molyneux,  boat  exploration  of  J ordan, 

ii.  288-294;  of  Dead  Sea,  iii.  12S; 
Point  Molyneux,  139. 

Momur,  brook  of,  ii.  345. 

Monks  of  St  Catherine  Convent,  i. 
244. 

Moore  and  Beke’s  attempt  to  navi¬ 
gate  Dead  Sea,  iii.  126. 

Morkha,  well  of,  i.  337. 

Mosque  el  Aksa,  iv.  41. 

Mosque  of  Omar,  iv.  31. 

Mountain  cities  of  Judah,  iii.  324. 
Mountain  groups  of  Sinai  Peninsula, 
i.  177  ;  their  heights,  180. 
Mountains  of  Ephraim  and  Judah, 

iii.  229. 

Mountains  of  Palestine,  ii.  16,  17. 
Mount  Nebo,  iii.  2. 

—  Okra  (Cassius),  iii.  194. 

—  of  Olives,  iv.  21. 

—  Quarantania,  iii.  18,  36,  37. 

—  St  Catherine,  its  height,  i.  180  ; 

described  by  Seetzen  and  Burck- 
hardt,  195-200. 

—  Tabor,  ii.  311-318. 

Mreir,  ii.  349. 

Muchalid,  iv.  269. 

Muchna,  plain  of,  ii.  350. 

Mukhna,  plain  of,  iv.  300. 

Mukhmas  (Michmash),  iv.  221. 
Muldam,  ii.  348. 

Murussus,  ii.  318. 

Nabathaeans,  i.  2,  11,  19,  423. 
Nablus  (ancient  Shechem),  iv.  300, 
302  ;  Samaritans  at,  308-320. 
Nahr  Abu  Yabura,  iv.  269. 

—  Arsuf,  iv.  266. 

—  Aujeh,  iv.  266,  300. 

—  el  Belka,  iv.  278. 

—  es  Serayib,  ii.  198. 

—  es  Serka,  iv.  278. 

—  Husban,  iii.  49,  64. 

—  Kuriyum,  iv.  302. 

—  Lejjun,  iv.  330. 

—  Bokad,  ii.  300. 


INDEX. 


395 


Nahr  Rubin,  iii.  221,  228. 

Nakb  Badera,  i.  336. 

—  Egani,  i.  179. 

—  el  Hawy  (Pass  of  the  Winds),  i. 

169,  170,  181. 

—  el  Baba,  i.  177. 

Nakhl,  visited  by  Buppell,  i.  48. 

Names,  old,  in  Sinai  Peninsula  re¬ 
tained,  i.  67,  68. 

Nain,  ii.  316,  319,  iv.  348. 

Nar  Hashbany,  river,  ii.  161,  186, 
203,  204. 

Nazareth,  iv.  368-375  ;  Church  and 
Convent  of  the  Annunciation, 
37 1 ;  history  of  town  and  its  in¬ 
habitants,  368 ;  villages  in  neigh¬ 
bourhood,  377. 

Nebek,  thorn  plant,  iii.  21,  135. 

Nebi  Musa,  iii.  5,  8,  85. 

Neby  Samwil  (Mizpeh),  iii.  229,  231, 
iv.  25. 

—  Ismail,  iv.  369. 

Nejemeh,  ii.  348. 

Nekb  mountains,  i.  215. 

Netopha,  iii.  239. 

Niebuhr,  commended  as  a  geographer, 
i.  176  ;  his  observations  on  Sinai 
range,  177,  ii.  52. 

Nob,  iv.  218. 

Notitia  Dignitatum,  i.  27,  28. 

Nowairi,  i.  15. 

Nowa  (Neve),  ii.  284,  2S5. 

Nowaran,  ii.  173. 

Nuris,  ii.  330. 

Nuweibi,  i.  69. 

Oijmeh,  i.  179. 

Om  el  Mezabel,  ii.  286. 

Omkeis  (Gadara)  hot  springs,  ii.  247, 
301-308. 

Om  et  Taybe,  ii.  308. 

Ornran  Arabs,  i.  407. 

Omar  Mosque,  iv.  112-121. 

Om  Shomar,  Mount,  ascended  by 
Burckhardt,  i.  191-193. 

Onhol,  ii.  286. 

Ophel,  iv.  146. 

Ophir,  opinions  as  to  its  locality,  i. 
78  ;  historical  data  of  the  route 
to,  81-89 ;  identity  of  name  with 
places  in  Arabia,  Africa,  and 
India,  91-116;  commodities  from, 
shown  to  be  Indian,  116-134; 
views  of  such  as  consider  Ophir 
to  have  been  in  Yemen  or  Safala, 
134-151. 

Ophra,  iii.  7. 

Orontes,  ii.  11,  14. 

Oreb,  iii.  121. 


Osher  plant  (apples  of  Sodom),  iii. 
19,  135. 

Palestine,  general  views  of  land  and 
people,  ii.  2-9  ;  physical  charac¬ 
ter  of  Syria  and.  Palestine  con¬ 
trasted,  10-20. 

—  geography  of,  from  Greek,  Roman, 

Jewish,  and  early  Christian 
sources,  23-39. 

—  during  the  period  of  the  Crusades, 

39-43. 

—  visits  to,  from  fourteenth  to 

eighteenth  centuries,  43-53. 

—  oriental  writers  on,  54-60. 

—  travellers  of  nineteenth  century 

to,  with  Bitter’s  opinion  of  their 
works,  60-74. 

—  fragmentary  contributions  to  a 

knowledge  of,  74-78. 

—  maps  of,  7S-S6. 

—  supplemental  list  of  most  recent 

works  on,  by  the  editor,  86- 

103. 

—  Tobler’s  list  of  works  on,  ii.  391- 

409. 

—  ancient  boundaries  of  and  divi¬ 

sions  among  the  twelve  tribes, 
iii.  175-190;  later  division  into 
Judaea,  Samaria,  Galilee,  physi¬ 
cal  basis  of  this,  191-200. 

Paneas,  ii.  206. 

Parah,  iv.  219. 

Paran,  wilderness  of,  i.  63, 69, 428,432. 
Pella,  ii.  281. 

Pentapolis,  i.  30. 

Perizzites,  ii.  121. 

Petra,  the  Nabathaean  capital,  Sultan 
Bibor’s  visit  to,  i.  16  ;  Romans 
at,  20,  21  ;  Laborde’s  visit  to, 
422 ;  entrance  arch,  436 ;  Khas- 
neh,  438-440  ;  tombs,  440-446  ; 
temple,  443. 

Peutinger  Tables,  i.  23. 

Pharan,  village  of,  i.  256. 

Pharanites,  i.  22. 

Pliasaelis,  ii.  346. 

Phiala,  lake  of,  ii.  177. 

Phik,  ii.  281. 

Philistines,  iii.  259-268 ;  proper,  their 
history,  26S-281. 

Phoenicians,  ii.  108. 

Pietro  Della  Yalle,  travels  in  Sinai 
Peninsula,  i.  172,  173,  ii.  49. 
Pilgrimages  to  Palestine,  ii.  35-39. 
Pillar  of  Salt  at  Usdum,  by  the  Dead 
Sea,  iii.  139. 

Pools  of  Solomon  (el-Burok),  iii.  93, 
333. 


396 


INDEX. 


Punon,  i.  3G. 

Pabbatli,  Ammon  and  Moab,  i.  25. 
Badjoin  el  Abhor,  ii.  284. 

Rafia,  iii.  205. 

Bakkath  (Hammath),  ii.  257. 

Pam,  ii.  285. 

Pam  Allah,  spring  of,  iv.  227,  228. 
Pamleh,  ii.  213,  iv.  234 ;  described, 
260. 

Bamah,  iv.  217,  230. 

Bamathaim  (Saba),  iii.  229. 

Pana,  iii.  252. 

Raphia  (Papha),  i.  40. 

Pas  el  Ain,  ii.  348,  iv.  248,  266,  303, 
349. 

Pas  el  Balka,  promontory  on  Dead 
Sea,  iii.  129. 

Pas  el  Feshchah,  iii.  31,  GO. 

Pas  el  Ghuweir,  iii.  80. 

Pas  el  Kerah,  iii.  129. 

Pas  el  Tafila,  iii.  129. 

Pas  es  Sus&feh,  i.  208. 

Pasheya,  ii.  181,  184. 

Pasheyat  el  Fuchar,  ii.  191. 

Pas  Hish,  iii.  138. 

Pas  Mohammed,  i.  59. 

Pawak  valley,  i.  48. 

Ped  Sea,  charts  and  surveys  of,  i. 
56-60. 

—  coral  reefs  and  islands  in,  162-166. 
Pemthieh,  iv.  268. 

Pephaim  or  giants,  ii.  131. 

- —  plain  of,  iv.  27. 

Pephidim,  its  locality  discussed,  i. 
323-328. 

Phinakorura,  i.  372. 

Piha,  ancient  Jericho,  which  see. 
Pithem,  or  juniper  plant,  i.  345. 
Pithma,  i.  427. 

Paver  of  Egypt,  i.  372. 

Roads  or  paths  of  Sinai,  i.  188. 

—  from  Lake  Tiberias  to  Damascus, 

ii.  284. 

—  from  Jerusalem  to  Jericho,  iii.  4. 

—  Jericho  to  Bethel,  iii.  36. 

—  from  Egypt  and  from  Sinai  Penin¬ 

sula  into  Judaea,  iii.  201. 

—  from  Jerusalem,  iv.  25. 

—  from  Jerusalem  to  Mediterranean, 

232. 

—  from  Bethel  to  Nablus,  293. 

—  from  Nablus  to  Sebaste,  320. 

—  in  south  of  Galilee,  343. 

—  to  the  coast  at  Acre,  359. 

—  Nazareth  and  its  neighbourhood, 

368. 

Robinson  as  a  traveller,  Ritter’s 
opinion  of,  i.  5,  ii.  70-74,  iv.  9,  16. 


Pock  inscriptions  in  Kannoytor,  i. 
177. 

—  in  Wady  Sehab,  270. 

—  in  Wady  Mokkateb,  331. 

—  in  Wady  Nasb,  349,  350. 

Pogel,  well  of,  iv.  145-148. 

Romans,  the,  in  Palestine,  ii.  25-27. 
Routes :  early  routes  from  iEla  to 

Jerusalem,  i.  24 ;  from  Gaza  to 
Pelusium,  39-41  ;  from  Suez  to 
Akaba,  41-44 ;  cross  routes  of 
travellers,  45 ;  from  Gulf  of 
Akaba  to  Sinai  Convent,  60,  71; 
from  Suez  to  Sinai,  338,  339  ; 
northern  routes  in  Sinai  Penin¬ 
sula,  361  ;  from  Akaba  to  Petra 
and  Hebron,  374,  421  ;  from 
Sinai  to  Palestine,  ii.  1.  See 
Roads. 

Pubtat  el  Jamus,  iii.  141. 

Pumon  (Rimmon),  ii.  348. 

Pummon,  iv.  219. 

Puppell  in  Arabia  Petr  tea,  Patter's 
opinion  of  him,  i.  46,  50. 
Pussegger  on  Sinai  mountains,  i. 
180,  247. 

—  levels  from  Red  Sea  to  St  Cathe¬ 

rine,  i.  202. 

—  geology  of  Wadi  Sheikh,  265. 

—  geology  of  upper  route  to  Sinai, 

346-349. 

—  his  account  of  Ped  Sea,  368. 

—  geology  of  district  around  the  Sea 

of  Galilee,  ii.  241-245. 

—  geology  of  south  of  Palestine,  iii. 

12-14. 

—  his  account  of  asphaltum  of  Dead 

Sea,  iii.  156. 

Ruins  in  Sinai  Peninsula,  list  of, 
given  by  Seetzen,  i.  419. 

—  on  road  from  Banias  to  Damas¬ 

cus,  ii.  168. 

Puhaibeh,  i.  374,  431. 

Rummaneh,  iv.  378. 

Saada,  i.  68. 

Saba,  Convent  of,  iii.  340. 

Safed,  ii.  164. 

—  city  and  castle  of,  219-221. 

Sahel  Hattin,  ii.  265. 

Sahhnin,  iv.  384. 

Sair,  iii.  101. 

Salem  (Salim),  ii.  350,  iv.  330. 

Salt  of  Dead  Sea,  iii.  161. 

Samaria  (Sebastieh),  city  of,  iv. 
321-326. 

Sebaijeh,  plain  of,  21S-224. 

Samaria,  district  of,  physical  charac¬ 
ter  of,  iii.  197. 


INDEX. 


397 


Samaritans,  iv.  2S7-291  ;  at  Nablus, 
313-320. 

Samireb,  ii.  384. 

Sandalwood,  or  almug,  i.  124. 
Sanoab,  iii.  239. 

Sanur,  iv.  328. 

Sara,  iii.  68. 

Saracens  in  Sinai  Peninsula,  i.  265. 
Sarbat  el  Chadem,  Egyptian  ruins 
in  Wady  Nash,  i.  352-359. 
Sarbout  el  Jemel,  i.  199,  342. 
Sartabab,  born  of,  ii.  344. 

Sasa,  ii.  169,  171,  175. 

Satb  el  Akaba,  i.  45. 

Sawicb,  iv.  300. 

Scbimper  on  botany  of  Mount  St 
Catherine,  i.  201. 

Scopus,  iv.  216. 

Sebbeb  (Masada), iii.  110, 114-117,137. 
Sebunta  (Hesbbon),  i.  26. 

Seetzen,  discoverer  of  Petra,  i.  419. 

—  Eitter’s  opinion  of  him,  ii.  61,  62. 

—  on  coasts  of  Dead  Sea,  iii.  64-79. 
Sefurieh,  iv.  376. 

Seguia,  ii.  293. 

Sebab  plateau,  i.  266.. 

Seilun  (ancient  Shiloh),  iv.  295-299. 
Seir,  i.  429,  ii.  135,  136. 

Semneim,  ii.  286. 

Semua  (Esmua,  Esbtemob),  iii.  107, 
283,  285. 

Senjol,  ii.  267. 

Sepata  (Zepatb  Hormah),  i.  431. 
Sephardim  Jews,  ii.  261,  iv.  210. 
Serbal,  Mount  of,  its  ascent,  292-300. 

—  a  mount  of  heathen  worship,  and 

its  identity  with  Sinai  and 
Horeb,  313-328. 

Serka  Maein,  iii.  66. 

Sersaf,  vale  of,  i.  191. 

Seybarany  river,  ii.  170i 
Shacllic,  i.  153,  154. 

Shafat,  iv.  226,  231. 

Shamor,  ii.  349. 

Sharon,  plain  of,  iv.  265. 

Sheba,  queen  of,  and  her  gold,  i.  S2, 
129,  145. 

—  water  of,  ii.  178. 

Shech  Muntar,  iii.  205. 

Shechem,  iv.  308. 

Sheik  Saleh’s  (Szaleh’s)  tomb,  i.  262; 

Arab  pilgrimages  to,  262-265. 
Sheik  Othman  el  Hazur,  ii.  200. 
Sheme,  plain  of,  i.  47. 

Shemskein,  ii.  300. 

Shera,  range  of,  i.  52. 

Sheriat  el  Menadra,  ii.  280,  299,  301. 
Sherm  Sheik  and  Sherm  el  Moyah, 
arms  of  the  Bed  Sea,  i.  59. 


Shur,  i.  369,  432,  ii.  104. 

Shuweikeh  (Socoh),  iii.  108,  237,  239, 
241,  286. 

Sich  el  Udhar,  ruins  of,  described, 
i.  312. 

Sickha  el  Hejas,  i.  59. 

Sidumad,  ii.  298. 

Sikka  Tekruri,  i.  324,  329. 

Siloam  or  Siloah  fountain,  iv.  148-157. 

Sileh,  iv.  349. 

Simoon,  the,  i.  248. 

Sin,  wilderness  of,  according  to 
Bobinson,  i.  322,  337,  428. 

Sinai  Peninsula  (Arabia  Petraea),  its 
boundaries  and  original  inhabi¬ 
tants,  i.  1-4  ;  its  early  Christian 
history,  4-12 ;  its  early  Mos¬ 
lem  history,  12-18  ;  Greek  and 
Eoman  accounts  of,  18-21 ;  its 
topography,  21-51. 

Sinai,  Mount,  its  height,  i.  180 ; 
called  also  Jebel  Musa  and 
Jebel  et  Tur,  184. 

—  pilgrims’  path  to  summit,  and 
view  from,  209-216. 

Sinjil,  iv.  296,  297. 

Sittim  or  Shittim,  plain  of  acacias, 
iii.  1. 

Sobah  (Eama,  Eamathaim),  iii.  234. 

Sofala  in  Africa  supposed  by  some 
to  have  been  Ophir,  i.  147. 

Solam  (Shunem),  ii.  320,  iv.  347. 

Solomon,  pools  of,  iii.  332-337. 

Sophor  in  Arabia  supposed  to  be 
Ophir,  i.  96. 

Soristan,  ii.  17. 

St  Anna  valley,  iii.  256. 

Strabo,  iii.  152. 

Subieh,  ii.  310. 

Succoth  (Sukkot),  ii.  338,  340,  341. 

Suez,  i.  159. 

Suliah,  iii.  107. 

Sukkariyeh,  iii.  246. 

Summakh,  village  of,  ii.  289. 

Sundela,  ii.  323. 

Sur  Bahil,  iii.  84. 

Sura  (Zohar),  iii.  239. 

Surafend,  iv.  260,  2S1. 

Surveys  of  eastern  and  southern 
coasts  of  Sinai  Peninsula,  i.  56- 
60. 

Symonds’  exploration  of  Jordan  and 
of  Dead  Sea,  iii.  127. 

Syria,  its  extent,  ii.  7 ;  physical  cha¬ 
racter  of,  11-20;  origin  of  name, 
104. 

Szammagh,  ii.  2S2. 

Szamra,  ii.  348. 

Szanamein,  ii.  300. 


393 


INDEX. 


Szemmak,  ii.  279. 

Szermadin,  ii.  246. 

S’zuema,  brook  of,  iii.  64. 

Taamira  Arabs,  iii.  81,  100. 

Taanuk  (Taanocb),  iv.  329. 

Tabor  (Jebel  Tor),  Mount  of,  view 
from,  ii.  311-318. 

Tadmor,  i.  13S. 

Taiyibeh  (Epliron,  Opkra),  ii.  348, 
iii.  36,  iv.  224. 

Tali,  ii.  352. 

Tamarisk  or  tarfa  tree  that  yields 
manna,  i.  260. 

Tantur,  born  worn  as  bead  ornament, 
ii.  184,  188. 

Tariclisea,  ii.  278,  279. 

Tarsbisb,  discussion  about,  i.  82-89  ; 

ships  of,  83,  84,  89. 

Tartessus  in  Spain,  i.  84,  85,  89. 
Tauros,  iii.  31. 

Tekoa,  wilderness  of,  iii.  99. 

Tekua  (Tekoab),  iii.  9S-100. 

Tell  Dilly,  ii.  300. 

■ — -  el  Faras,  ii.  285. 

—  el  Hasy  (supposed  Ziklag),  iii. 

246,  247. 

—  el  Hora,  ii.  286. 

—  el  Kadi,  spring  of,  ii.  201. 

— -  el  Khanryr,  ii.  173. 

—  es  Safieb,  iii.  221,  222. 

—  Hum  (Capernaum),  ii.  272-277, 

283. 

• —  Jabye  and  Jemera,  ii.  285. 

—  Khaibar  (Hepher),  ii.  345. 

—  Moerad,  ii.  286. 

—  Sbakbab,  ii.  2S6. 

—  Tawaneb,  iii.  107. 

—  Zecby,  ii.  285. 

Teman,  i.  37,  ii.  137. 

Terabin  Arabs,  i.  405. 

Terkumieh,  iii.  256. 

Terrace  culture  of  tbe  Hebrews,  ii.  21. 
Tbamara  (Kurnub),  i.  35. 

Tbrax,  iii.  31. 

Tiberias  (Tabaria),  city  of,  its  his¬ 
tory,  ii.  256-259 ;  its  present 
condition,  259-262. 

—  Sea  of.  See  Galilee,  Sea  of. 
Tibneb  (Timnatb),  iii.  239,  241,  iv. 

246  ;  tbe  borne  and  burial- place 
of  Josbua,  247. 

Tib,  range  of,  i.  69,  343 ;  plateau, 
370-376. 

Tiyaba  Arabs,  i.  404. 

Tobler’s  list  of  works  on  Palestine, 
ii.  391-409. 

Topbet,  iii.  82. 

Topbila  (Topbel),  i.  26,  63. 


Towara  Arabs,  protectors  of  Sinai 
Convent,  i.  243,  388,  393,  397. 
Travellers  in  Sinai  Peninsula  most 
frequently  quoted  by  Ritter,  i.  12. 

—  wbo  bave  ascended  Mount  St 

Catherine,  189. 

—  to  Sinai  Convent,  240. 

—  across  Tih  desert,  361. 

—  from  Dead  Sea  to  Gulf  of  Aka,  420. 

—  to  Palestine,  mostrecent,  ii.  60-77. 
— •  to  Jericho,  iii.  3,  4. 

Tribes,  primitive,  of  Canaan,  ii. 
121-128. 

—  outside  of  Canaan,  131-159. 

Tubas,  ii.  341. 

Tumrah,  ii.  318. 

Turan,  ii.  310. 

Tur  (el-Tor),  history  of,  i.  152-160. 
Tur  el  Hammer,  iii.  64. 

Turmus,  ii.  352. 

Turrnus  Aja,  ii.  342. 

Turmus  Aya,  iv.  296,  297. 

Ulad  Said  Arabs,  i.  262. 

IJlad  Soleiman  Arabs,  i.  391. 

Um  el  Amad,  iii.  104. 

Um  el  Orszas,  iii.  74. 

Um  et  Taiyibeb,  ii.  318. 

Um  Lakis  (Lacbisb),  iii.  247. 

Urtas  (Etam),  iii.  93. 

Usdum  mountains,  iii.  123,  138. 

Valley  of  tbe  Convent,  i.  225. 

—  of  Jebosbapbat,  iii.  81,  82. 

Valleys  of  Palestine,  ii.  it. 

V apour  clouds  of  Dead  Sea,  iii.  159, 161 . 
Via  Dolorosa,  iv.  103. 

Volney’s  travels,  ii.  53. 

Von  Schubert’s  travels,  ii.  69. 

Van  der  Velde,  latitude  and  longi¬ 
tude  of  localities  as  drawn  up  by  ' 
him,  ii.  359-372  ;  altitudes  of  lo¬ 
calities  as  given  by  him,  372-385. 

Wadi  Aallan,  ii.  300. 

—  Abu  Obaideb,  ii.  339. 

—  Abu  Sadra,  ii.  339. 

—  Ahmed,  iii.  340. 

—  Akhdar,  i.  345. 

—  Ain  Tuleib,  iv.  245. 

—  Aleiat,  i.  295,  296,  304,  311. 

—  Ali,  iv.  236. 

—  Amora,  i.  366. 

—  Araba  (Lower  Ghor),  i.  49,  51, 

53,  375,  421,  ii.  301. 

—  Ararar  (ancient  Aroer),  iii.  283. 

—  Ashdod,  iii.  221,  222. 

—  Attuerwik  (Tuerwik),  i.  364. 

—  Aujeh,  iv.  248. 


INDEX, 


399 


Wadi  Azariyye,  iii.  5. 

—  Badera,  i.  330,  336. 

—  Barak,  i.  345. 

—  Beishan,  ii.  309,  321. 

—  Beit  Hanina,  iii.  229. 

—  Belat,  iv.  245,  294. 

—  Beni  Salim,  iii.  328. 

—  Berah,  i.  345. 

—  Ber  el  Kulak,  iii.  86. 

—  Bkia,  iii.  339. 

—  Bozeirah,  i.  6S. 

—  Chomille,  i.  345,  342. 

—  Dabus  el  Aked,  iii.  9. 

—  Debbe,  i.  303. 

—  Diab,  ii.  339. 

—  el  Abyad,  iii.  339. 

—  el  Agaba,  i.  372. 

—  el  Aksa,  iii.  77. 

—  el  Ain,  iv.  224. 

—  el  Amud,  ii.  266. 

—  el  Arab,  ii.  337. 

—  el  Arisk  (Sikor  or  river  of  Egypt), 

i.  372,  375,  iii.  203. 

—  el  Atiyek,  i.  427. 

—  el  Aujek,  ii.  339. 

—  el  Beka,  i.  331. 

—  el  Beyanak,  i.  374. 

—  el  Beydlian,  ii.  337. 

—  el  Birek,  ii.  308,  311. 

—  el  Ckambek,  iii.  340. 

—  el  Ckan,  iii.  10. 

—  el  Delbek,  iii.  290. 

—  el  Dharfory,  i.  337. 

—  el  Fariak,  iii.  338,  339. 

—  el  Fasail,  ii.  339. 

—  el  Fejas,  ii.  309,  310. 

—  el  Gkor,  i.  184,  iii.  109. 

—  el  Gurabek,  iii.  86. 

—  el  Hamd,  iii.  7. 

— -  el  Hemar,  ii.  338. 

—  el  Humam  (Hammam),  ii.  265. 

—  el  Jarafek,  i.  375,  426. 

—  el  Jeib,  i.  425. 

—  el  Jib,  iv.  294. 

—  el  Kkulil,  iii.  287,  288. 

—  el  Kid,  ii.  197. 

—  el  Koszeir,  ii.  337. 

—  el  Leban,  iii.  83. 

—  el  Makkfurijek,  ii.  345. 

—  el  Malik,  iii.  337,  33S,  341. 

—  el  Mutyak,  iv.  224. 

—  el  Nachal,  i.  155,  302. 

—  el  Seklab,  ii.  337. 

—  el  Skeik,  i.  258  ;  described  by 

Burckkardt,  260  ;  geology  of,  by 
Russegger,  265  ;  topography  of, 
by  Lepsius,  269. 

—  el  Wezy,  iii.  83. 

—  el  Wuttaijak,  i.  269. 


Wadi  en  Ear  (Fire  Yale),  iii.  60,  S3. 

—  en  Nawaimek,  ii.  340. 

—  Ensous,  i.  329. 

—  er  Rahib  (Monk’s  Yale)  iii.  60, 

81. 

—  es  Safiek  (Clear  Ilavine),  iii. 

139. 

—  esk  Skaar,  iv.  300. 

—  esk  Skaib,  iii.  53. 

—  es  Sumpt,  iii.  237,  240,  241. 

—  es  Syk,  i.  436. 

—  et  Taamira,  iii.  84,  340. 

—  et  Taybe,  ii.  337. 

—  et  Teim,  ii.  165,  183,  191. 

—  et  Tik,  i.  364. 

—  Farak,  iv.  219,  230. 

—  Franski,  iii.  119. 

—  Fassail,  ii.  346,  iii.  8. 

—  Fatun,  ii.  338.  • 

—  Feiran,  described  by  Niebuhr  and 

others,  i.  255-258 ;  characteris¬ 
tics  and  ruins  of,  by  Burck- 
hardt  and  others,  301-311. 

—  Ferra,  ii.  351. 

—  Fyadk,  ii.  339. 

—  Genne,  i.  180,  345. 

—  Gkarundel  (supposed  Elim),  de¬ 

scribed  by  Bm’ckhardt,  i.  53, 
367  ;  by  Niebuhr,  364. 

—  Gkoyer,  i.  426. 

—  Gkurbeh,  i.  169. 

—  Hadji,  i.  47. 

—  Hamy  Sakker,  ii.  284,  285,  300. 

—  Hanina,  iv.  229. 

—  Hebran,  i.  168. 

—  Heshbon,  iii.  2. 

—  Hodk,  iii.  10. 

—  Hommer,  i.  342. 

—  Humeir,  iii.  140. 

—  Ismael,  iii.  234. 

—  Itkm  (Getune),  i.  75,  424. 

—  Jabis,  ii.  331. 

—  Jalud,  iv.  345. 

—  Jamel,  ii.  339. 

—  Jeremiyek,  i.  269. 

—  Kaddum,  iii.  S3. 

—  Kedum,  iii.  7. 

—  Kelt,  iii.  8,  9,  17,  iv.  221. 

—  Iverak,  iii.  76. 

—  Khan  Hachurah,  iii.  7. 

— -  Kobeyshe,  iii.  119. 

—  Kubarak,  iii.  11S. 

—  Kuneitrak,  iii.  86. 

—  Kuweilifeh,  iii.  288. 

—  Kyd,  i.  61,  62. 

—  Lakyane,  i.  54. 

—  Lubban,  iv.  296. 

—  Mackara  (Magara,  Keneli),  Val¬ 

ley  of  Caves,  i.  330,  335. 


400 


INDEX. 


Wadi  Mejedda,  ii.  337. 

—  Melaha,  i.  254. 

— -  Moakkar,  ii.  285,  300. 

—  Mohsen,  i.  261. 

—  Mojeb,  iii.  136,  146. 

—  Mokkateb  ( Y alley  of  Inscriptions) , 

described  by  travellers,  i.  329-337. 

—  Morra,  i.  371. 

—  Muhariwat,  iii.  140. 

—  Musa,  where  Petra  is,  i.  434. 

—  Musurr,  iii.  237. 

—  Muttiyak,  ii.  352. 

—  Nabk,  i.  61. 

—  Xalir  Musrara,  iv.  268. 

—  Nakkl  described  by  Ivuppell,  i.  47. 

—  Xasb,  i.  344  ;  its  mines  and  rock 

inscriptions  described  by  R,up- 
pell  and  Lepsius,  348-352. 

—  Nawaimeh,  ii.  348. 

—  Nedjil  and  Nisrim,  i.  329. 

—  Oesclie,  ii.  308,  316,  318. 

—  Osh,  i.  260  ;  its  height,  352. 

—  Owass,  i.  192. 

—  Rabadiyali,  ii.  266,  268. 

—  Rahab,  i.  6S. 

—  Rakmah,  i.  430. 

—  Ram,  iv.  230. 

—  Retemat,  i.  427. 

—  Romm  an,  i.  331. 

—  Rudwah,  i.  202. 

—  Rustuk,  iv.  329. 

■ —  Rymm  (Rimm),  i.  270,  294,  301. 

—  Sabia,  i.  423. 

—  Sabra,  i.  423. 

—  Sal  (Sayal),  i.  66. 

—  Salakha,  i.  70. 

—  Samgky,  i.  6S. 

—  Santa,  iii.  IS. 

—  Sassaf,  iii.  119. 

—  Schubert,  i.  169. 

—  Seba,  iii.  287. 

—  Sebaijeh,  i.  185,  186 ;  the  camp- 

ing-ground  of  Israel  when  the 
law  was  given,  215-224. 

—  Seder  (Sudr),  i.  366. 

—  Sehab,  i.  270. 

—  Selaf,  i.  169,  177,  181,  202. 

—  Semek  (Szemmak),  ii.  2S4. 

—  Seyal,  iii.  116,  118,  137. 

—  Seyde,  ii.  285. 

—  Sheriah  (brook  Besor),  iii.  248. 

—  Shellal  (Valley  of  Cataracts),  i. 

336. 

—  Shoeib  (Yale  of  Jethro),  i.  184. 

—  Shubash,  ii.  338. 

—  Shubeilceh,  i.  338,  342. 

—  Sidr,  iii.  7,  10,  17,  112. 

—  Simsin,  iii.  222. 

—  Sinein,  iii.  116. 


Wadi  Sinjil,  iv.  295. 

—  Sittere,  i.  338. 

—  Sudeir,  iii.  135,  141. 

—  Suleim,  iv.  216  ;  Wadi  Suleiman, 

232,  241. 

—  Sumt,  iii.  240. 

—  Surar,  iii.  221,  228,  237. 

—  Sur  Bahil,  iii.  83. 

—  Suweinit,  iv.  221. 

—  Szadeke,  i.  421. 

—  Szemmak,  ii.  230. 

—  Taamirah,  iii.  135,  333. 

_  Tnvfn  -I  070 

—  Taijibe  (Taibe),  i.  274,  338,  341. 

—  Thai,  i.  338,  341. 

—  Tullah  (Tula),  i.  184,  202. 

—  Tyh,  i.  45. 

—  Um  Rathama,  i.  302. 

—  Urtas,  iii.  93,  332. 

—  IJsait,  i.  338,  341. 

—  Wara,  i.  61. 

—  Wardan,  i.  364-366. 

—  Werd,  iv.  27. 

—  Wetir  (Outir),  i.  70. 

—  Wutah,  i.  343. 

—  Yetma,  iv.  300. 

—  Zerka,  iii.  133. 

War  Ezzaky,  ii.  286. 

Watershed  line  between  Jerusalem 

and  Tabor,  ii.  352-354. 

Waters  of  Dosh,  ii.  348. 

Well  of  Howara  (supposed  Marah), 

i.  366-368. 

—  of  Moses  at  St  Catherine  Convent, 

ii.  234,  235. 

—  of  Jacob,  iv.  301,  317. 

Yafa,  iv.  375. 

Yalo  (Aijalon),  iii.  243,  iv.  235. 
Yamon,  iv.  329. 

Yebna,  ii.  213,  iii.  222. 

Yemen,  i.  93. 

Yermak  (Hieromax),  river  of,  ii. 

297-299. 

Yitma,  iii.  300. 

Yutta  (Juttak),  iii.  107,  286. 

Zaliane  Arabs,  iii.  10. 

Zebier  range,  i.  199. 

Zeiteh,  iii.  328. 

Zemaraim,  Mount  of,  ii.  349. 

Zered  brook,  ii.  149,  iii.  78. 

Zerin,  ancient  Jezreel,  ii.  322-325, 
327,  iv.  344. 

Ziph,  hill  of,  iii.  103. 

Ziph,  city  of,  iii.  103,  104. 

Zoar,  i.  27,  30,  iii.  76,  144. 
Zodocatha,  i.  32. 

Zuweirah,  pass  of,  iii.  123. 


INDEX  OF  TEXTS. 


♦ 


i.  7-13, 

vol.  iii. 

page  48 

Gen.  xvi.  12,  vol.  i. 

page 

383,  402 

ii.  11,  12, 

i.  97, 

121,  133 

xvii.  8,  9,  23-27, 

iii. 

300 

ix.  20, 

iii. 

297 

xviii.  16, 

iii. 

8 

x.  4, 

i. 

84,  89 

xviii., 

iii. 

299 

x.  6,  15-19, 

ii. 

106 

xix.  20, 

i. 

31 

x.  7,  26-30, 

ii. 

141 

xix.  28, 

iii. 

8,  85 

x.  14, 

i. 

316 

XX.  1, 

i. 

30 

x.  14, 

iii. 

260 

XX.  1, 

iii. 

277 

x.  15, 

ii. 

110,  119 

xx.  2, 

i. 

317 

x.  18, 

ii. 

112 

xx.  21, 

iii. 

275 

x.  19, 

i. 

30,  39 

xxi.  14-21, 

i. 

426 

x.  19, 

ii. 

112 

xxi.  20,  21, 

i. 

432 

x.  19, 

iii. 

262,  268 

xxi.  22, 

iii. 

278 

x.  20, 

iii. 

268 

xxi.  28-30, 

i. 

28 

x.  21, 

ii. 

105 

xxi.  32, 

i. 

317 

x.  21, 

iii. 

262 

xxii.  17, 

i. 

399 

x.  28, 

i. 

97 

xxii.  20-23, 

ii. 

104 

x.  29, 

i.  94 

,  96,  103 

xxiii.  2, 

ii. 

120 

x.  30, 

i. 

96 

xxiii.  5-7, 

ii. 

119 

xi.  16, 

ii. 

105 

xxiii.  7, 

ii. 

122 

xi.  31, 

ii. 

106 

xxiii.  17-19, 

iii. 

298 

xii.  6, 

ii. 

106 

xxiii.  19, 

ii. 

106,  109 

xii.  6, 

iv. 

308 

xxv.  2, 

ii. 

145 

xii.  8, 

iv. 

26,  223 

xxv.  3, 

i. 

37 

xiii.  9, 

iv. 

227 

xxv.  9, 

iii. 

298,  307 

xiii.  18, 

iii. 

293 

xxv.  12-18, 

i. 

383 

xiv.  2,  8, 

i. 

27 

xxv.  18, 

ii. 

142 

xiv.  3-6, 

ii. 

131 

xxvi. 

iii. 

277 

xiv.  5, 

ii. 

149 

xxvi.  1,  8, 

i. 

30 

xiv.  6, 

i. 

432 

xxvi.  1,  8, 

iii. 

266 

xiv.  6,  7, 

i. 

426 

xxvi.  8, 

i. 

317 

xiv.  6,  7, 

ii. 

134,  135 

xxvi.  15,  16, 

ii. 

120 

xiv.  7, 

ii. 

125 

xxvi.  17-33, 

iii. 

278 

xiv.  7,  13, 

ii. 

121 

xxvi.  34, 

ii. 

122 

xiv.  13,  24, 

ii. 

120 

xxviii.  11-19, 

iv. 

26 

xiv.  13,  24, 

iii. 

298 

xxviii.  19, 

ii. 

120 

xiv.  15,  IS, 

ii. 

120,  180 

xxviii.  22, 

iii. 

183 

xiv.  20, 

iii. 

183 

xxix.  2,  3, 

iii. 

102 

xv.  18, 

ii. 

105 

xxxi.  47, 

ii. 

120 

xv.  19, 

ii. 

146,  147 

xxxii.  7,  8, 

ii. 

228 

xv.  19,  21, 

ii. 

144 

xxxii.  22, 

ii. 

120,  228 

xv.  21, 

ii. 

127 

xxxiii.  17,  ii. 

120, 

340,  341 

xvi.  7, 

i. 

426,  431 

xxxiii.  18, 

ii. 

350,  351 

xvi.  7, 

ii. 

142 

xxxiii.  18, 

iv. 

308 

402 


INDEX  OF  TEXTS. 


Gen.  xxxiii.  19,  vol.  ii.  page  109, 


xxxiv.  2,  ii. 

h‘ 

p 

120, 

xxxiv.  8, 

11. 

XXXV.  1, 

iv. 

xxxv.  19, 

iii. 

xxxv.  27, 

iii. 

xxxv.  29, 

iii. 

xxxvi.  9, 

ii. 

xxxvi.  11,  12,  16, 

ii. 

xxxvi.  12, 

ii. 

xxxvi.  20-29, 

ii. 

xxxvi.  24, 

iii. 

xxxvi.  33, 

i. 

xxxvii.  12,  14,  28, 

iv. 

xxxvii.  14, 

iii. 

xxxvii.  17, 

ii. 

xxxvii.  27,  2S, 

i. 

xl.  15, 

ii. 

xlv.  19,  21,  27, 

iii. 

xlviii.  7, 

iii. 

xlviii.  22, 

ii. 

xlviii.  22, 

iv. 

xlix.  9, 

iii. 

xlix.  11,  12, 

iii. 

xlix.  13, 

iv. 

xlix.  14, 

iii. 

xlix.  19, 

iii. 

1.  13, 

iii. 

48, 

1.  ii.  15, 

i. 

ii.  15-22, 

ii. 

iii.  1,  12,  18, 

i. 

iii.  22, 

i. 

v.  3, 

i. 

viii.  27,  28, 

i. 

320, 

xi.  2, 

i. 

xii.  22, 

i. 

xii.  37, 

ii. 

xii.  38, 

i. 

xii.  38, 

iii. 

xiii.  17, 

i. 

xiii.  17, 

iii. 

203, 

xv.  14, 

iii. 

XV.  22, 

ii. 

xv.  27, 

i. 

xvi.  1, 

i. 

xvi.  4, 

i. 

xvi.  14, 

i. 

277, 

xvi.  15, 

i. 

xvi.  20, 

i. 

xvi.  31,  32,  34, 

i. 

xvi.  35, 

i. 

xvi.  35, 

ii. 

xvii.  1,  8, 

i. 

xvii.  3, 

i. 

xvii.  8, 

iii. 

xvii.  15, 

i. 

xviii.  14-23, 

i. 

xviii.  21-23, 

i. 

xix.  1,  2, 

L 

Exod.  xix.  2,  1G-20,  vol.  i.  page  217, 

218,  222 


xix.  16, 

i. 

222,  226 

xix.  17, 

i. 

218 

xx.  18,  21, 

i. 

218 

xxi.  13, 

i. 

399 

xxx.  23,  24, 

i. 

121 

xxxii.  4, 

i. 

190 

xxxii.  15-34, 

i. 

231 

xxxiv.  11, 

ii. 

121 

xiv.  4, 

i. 

212 

i.  ix.  1, 

i. 

199 

x.  12,  i. 

22,  69, 

199,  427 

x.  29-33, 

ii. 

145 

xi.  4, 

iii. 

274 

xi.  7, 

i. 

121 

xi.  8, 

i. 

273 

xi.  8,  9, 

i. 

286 

xi.  9, 

i. 

277 

xi.  22,  31, 

i. 

68 

xi.  35, 

i. 

67 

xii.  14, 

i. 

'67 

xiii.  3,  21,  26, 

i. 

22,  69 

xiii.  4,  27, 

i. 

427 

xiii.  21, 

ii. 

207 

xiii.  22, 

iii. 

292 

xiii.  23, 

iii. 

258 

xiii.  24, 

iii. 

294,  298 

xiii.  29, 

ii. 

115,  128 

xiii.  33, 

ii. 

131 

xiv.  45, 

i. 

428 

xiv.  45, 

ii. 

142 

xix.  6, 

i. 

212 

XX.  1, 

i. 

22 

xx.  2, 

i. 

426 

xx.  14-21, 

i. 

26 

xx.  16, 

ii. 

135 

xxi.  1, 

i. 

34 

xxi.  3, 

i. 

426 

xxi.  4, 

i. 

75,  291 

xxi.  10,  11, 

i. 

38 

xxi.  11, 

ii. 

148 

xxi.  13,  34, 

ii. 

125 

xxi.  14,  15, 

ii. 

150 

xxi.  17,  18, 

ii. 

150 

xxi.  21-26, 

ii. 

151 

xxi.  24, 

ii. 

151,  157 

xxi.  26, 

ii. 

126 

xxi.  27-30, 

ii. 

150 

xxi.  28, 

i. 

34 

xxi.  30, 

ii. 

152 

xxi.  31-35, 

ii. 

153 

xxi.  33, 

ii. 

125 

xxii.  4,  7, 

ii. 

147 

xxii.  5, 

ii. 

154 

xxii.  23,  24, 

ii. 

153 

xxiii.  7, 

ii. 

154 

xxiii.  44, 

ii. 

148 

xxiv.  20, 

ii. 

141 

123 

123 

120 

308 

331 

298 

307 

135 

144 

141 

134 

69 

26 

308 

298 

331 

387 

106 

328 

339 

125 

318 

181 

198 

2S0 

189 

188 

298 

387 

144 

319 

81 

319 

356 

81 

212 

340 

291 

274 

316 

275 

276 

104 

288 

322 

284 

286 

285 

2S7 

285 

290 

107 

319 

291 

269 

326 

383 

387 

199 


INDEX  OF  TEXTS. 

403 

.  xxiv.  20,  vol 

iii.  page  268 

Deut.  iv.  43, 

vol.  ii. 

page  196 

XXV.  1, 

ii.  153 

iv.  48, 

ii. 

160,  165 

XXV.  1, 

iii.  2 

viii.  30, 

iv. 

303 

xxv.  9-13, 

i.  395 

xi.  26-28, 

iv. 

304 

xxvii.  21, 

i.  387 

xi.  29, 

iv. 

303 

xxxii.  6,  16-18, 

ii.  154 

xi.  30, 

iv. 

296 

xxxii.  37, 

ii.  152 

xxiii.  3, 

ii. 

158 

xxxii.  33-38, 

ii.  154 

xxiv.  3, 

iii. 

1 

xxxii.  41, 

iv.  338 

xxvii.  2, 

iv. 

303 

xxxiii.  5, 

ii.  340 

xxxii.  17, 

iii. 

168 

xxxiii.  12-14, 

i.  320,  322 

xxxii.  32, 

iii. 

21 

xxxiii.  13,  14, 

i.  8,  34 

xxxii.  43, 

ii. 

260 

xxxiii.  17,  18, 

i.  427 

xxxiii.  2, 

i. 

22 

xxxiii.  17,  20, 

i.  63,  67 

xxxiii.  3, 

ii. 

158 

xxxiii.  29, 

i.  75 

xxxiii.  7, 

iii. 

181 

xxxiii.  38, 

ii.  107 

xxxiii.  18, 

iii. 

189 

xxxiii.  41, 

i.  36 

xxxiii.  19, 

iv. 

280 

xxxiii.  41-44, 

ii.  148 

xxxiv. 

iii. 

85 

xxxiii.  43,  44, 

i.  38 

xxxiv.  3, 

iii. 

1 

xxxiii.  44, 

ii.  148 

Josh.  i.  4, 

ii. 

122 

xxxiii.  45-47, 

ii.  150 

ii.  7, 

iii. 

4,  52 

xxxiii.  49, 

ii.  153 

iii.  17, 

iii. 

41 

xxxiii.  49, 

iii.  2 

iv.  13, 

iii. 

2 

xxxiii.  51, 

ii.  107,  115 

iv.  19,  20,  24, 

iii. 

46 

xxxiv. 

iii.  175 

v.  10, 

iii. 

2 

xxxiv.  2-13, 

ii.  107 

v.  12, 

ii. 

107 

xxxiv.  3,  4, 

i.  427 

v.  12, 

iii. 

46 

xxxiv.  5, 

ii.  1 13 

vi.  26, 

iii. 

2,  32 

xxxiv.  5, 

iii.  203 

vii.  2, 

iv. 

223 

xxxiv.  7, 

iii.  175 

vii.  26, 

iii. 

45 

xxxiv.  11, 

ii.  235 

viii.  1-35, 

iv. 

223 

i.  1, 

i.  26,  37,  63 

viii.  33,  34, 

iv. 

303 

i.  2, 

i.  427 

ix.  i, 

ii.  124,  128,  235 

i.  7,  19, 

iii.  325 

ix.  3,  7,  15, 

ii. 

124 

i.  19, 

i.  427 

ix.  6, 

iii. 

47 

i.  44, 

i.  431 

ix.  17, 

iii. 

230 

ii.  1,  5,  8,  12, 

i.  429 

X. 

iii. 

269 

ii.  1,  8, 

ii.  136 

x.  1,  2, 

ii. 

124 

ii.  4,  8, 

ii.  135 

x.  1,  5, 

ii. 

12S 

ii.  6, 

i.  291 

x.  1-14, 

ii. 

126 

ii.  9, 

i.  34 

x.  1-42, 

iii. 

325 

ii.  10, 

ii.  131,  149 

x.  2, 

iii. 

230 

ii.  10,  12,  19,  20, 

ii.  109 

x.  3, 

iii. 

258 

ii.  12, 

ii.  134 

x.  3-5, 

iii. 

247 

ii.  13, 

ii.  149 

x.  4, 

i. 

35 

ii.  13,  18, 

iii.  78 

x.  5, 

ii. 

118 

ii.  14, 

ii.  148 

x.  6,  15, 

iii. 

47 

ii.  20, 

ii.  131 

x.  10,  11, 

ii. 

224 

ii.  23,  ii. 

109,  113,  133 

x.  16, 

iii. 

249 

ii.  23,  iii.  210, 

225,  265-267 

x.  43, 

ii. 

224 

ii.  24, 

ii.  118 

xi.  1-6, 

ii. 

118 

ii.  26-37, 

ii.  151 

xi.  1-12, 

ii. 

127 

iii.  4,  5, 

ii.  153 

xi.  1-16, 

iii. 

325 

iii.  5, 

ii.  126 

xi.  1-20, 

ii. 

200 

iii.  9, 

ii.  160,  165 

xi.  3, 

ii. 

115,  123 

iii.  11, 

ii.  132 

xi.  8,  10-13, 

ii. 

224 

iii.  14, 

ii.  118 

xi.  21, 

iii.  257, 

276,  324 

iii.  16, 

ii.  150 

xi.  21,  22, 

ii. 

133 

iii.  17, 

ii.  235 

xii.  2, 

ii. 

150,  153 

INDEX  OF  TEXTS. 


404 


Josh.  xii.  3, 

vol.  ii. 

paee  235 

Josli.  xv.  46,  4-7, 

vol.  iii.  page  225, 

xii.  5, 

ii. 

118 

125 

257 

xii.  14, 

i. 

35 

xv.  47, 

iii. 

210 

xii.  16, 

iv. 

26 

xv.  48, 

iii.  108, 

240,  284 

xii.  17, 

ii. 

345 

xv.  48-51, 

iii. 

285 

xii.  19, 

ii. 

217 

xv.  48-60, 

iii. 

283 

xii.  19-23, 

iv. 

334 

xv.  49, 

iii. 

257 

xii.  21, 

iv. 

329 

xv.  50, 

iii.  107, 

284,  285 

xii.  22, 

iv. 

338 

xv.  52-54, 

iii. 

324 

xii.  23, 

iv. 

249 

xv.  55, 

iii.  103, 

107,  286 

xii.  24, 

ii. 

351 

xv.  55-57, 

iii. 

287 

xiii.  2, 

iv. 

334 

xv.  56, 

iii. 

239,  327 

xiii.  2-6, 

iii. 

178 

xv.  58,  59, 

iii. 

324 

xiii.  3, 

ii. 

133 

xv.  61,  62, 

iii. 

331 

xiii.  3, 

iii. 

203, 

275 

xvi.  1,  2, 

iv. 

222,  226 

xiii.  4,15-32, 

iii. 

178 

xvi.  5, 

iv. 

229,  242 

xiii.  5, 

ii. 

215 

xvi.  10, 

ii. 

126 

xiii.  5, 

iii. 

186 

xvi.  10, 

iii. 

183 

xiii.  12, 

ii. 

118 

xvii.  11, 

ii. 

327 

xiii.  19, 

iii. 

* 

68 

xvii.  11, 

iv. 

329,  337 

xiii.  21-27, 

i. 

26 

xvii.  11,  16, 

ii. 

323,  335 

xiii.  27, 

ii. 

340 

xvii.  14-18, 

ii. 

327 

xiii.  32, 

ii. 

152 

xvii.  15, 

ii. 

132 

xiv.  14, 

iii. 

182 

xvii.  21, 

iv. 

337 

xiv.  15, 

ii. 

132 

xviii.  1, 

iii. 

47,  182 

xiv.  15, 

iii. 

292 

xviii.  3, 

iii. 

182 

XV.  1, 

ii. 

35 

xviii.  7, 

iii. 

183 

xv.  1-5, 

iii. 

179 

xviii.  10, 

iii. 

182 

xv.  1-8, 

i. 

433 

xviii.  11-28, 

iii. 

7 

xv.  3, 

i. 

135 

xviii.  13, 

iv.  222, 

229,  242 

xv.  4,  47, 

ii. 

113 

xviii.  14,  15, 

iii. 

233 

xv.  6,  7, 

iii. 

47 

xviii.  16, 

iv. 

147 

xv.  7, 

ii.  10,  11, 

45, 

xviii.  17, 

iii. 

10 

238 

xviii.  21, 

iii. 

48 

xv.  8, 

ii. 

128, 

132 

xviii.  22, 

ii. 

349 

xv.  8, 

iv. 

147 

xviii.  23, 

ii. 

133 

xv.  9, 

iii. 

233 

xviii.  23, 

iii. 

225 

xv.  10, 

iii. 

241 

xviii.  23, 

iv. 

219,  225 

xv.  11, 

iii.  242, 

243, 

244 

xviii.  24, 

ii. 

294 

xv.  15, 

iii. 

257 

xviii.  25, 

iii. 

231 

xv.  16,  17, 

iii. 

182 

xviii.  28, 

ii. 

128 

xv.  17, 

iii. 

257 

xviii.  29, 

iii. 

183 

xv.  20-32, 

iii. 

284, 

325 

xix.  1-9, 

iii. 

325 

xv.  23, 

i. 

427 

xix.  7, 

iii. 

284 

xv.  24, 

iii. 

103 

xix.  9, 

iii. 

182 

xv.  25, 

iii. 

239 

xix.  10-16, 

iv. 

336 

xv.  28, 

i. 

30 

xix.  10-40, 

iv. 

334 

xv.  29, 

i. 

31 

xix.  11,  26, 

iv. 

352 

xv.  30, 

i. 

431 

xix.  12, 

ii. 

314 

xv.  31, 

iii. 

247 

xix.  12. 

iv. 

375 

xv.  32, 

iii. 

2S4 

xix.  12,  22, 

ii. 

312 

xv.  33-36, 

iii. 

240 

xix.  17-24, 

iv. 

337 

xv.  34, 

iii. 

234 

xix.  21, 

ii. 

331 

xv.  37-41, 

iii. 

247 

xix.  21, 

iv. 

345 

xv.  39, 

iii. 

248 

xix.  24-32, 

iv. 

337,  361 

xv.  41, 

ii. 

352 

xix.  27, 

ii. 

352 

xv.  41, 

iii. 

220 

xix.  27, 

iii. 

188,  220 

xv.  43, 

iii. 

239, 

256 

xix.  27, 

iv. 

334 

xv.  45-47, 

iii. 

243 

xix.  28,  29, 

iii. 

183 

INDEX  OF  TEXTS. 


405 


xix.  28,  29, 

vol.  iv. 

page  380 

Judg.  iii.  13,  vol 

iii. 

page  2 

xix.  82-40, 

ii. 

220 

iii.  28, 

iii. 

52 

xix.  32-40, 

iv. 

338 

iv.  2,  13,  16, 

ii. 

218,  224 

xix.  35, 

ii.  235, 

257,  302 

iv.  3, 

iii. 

186 

xix.  35-37, 

ii. 

219 

iv.  4, 

iv. 

230 

xix.  36-38, 

ii. 

215 

iv.  6,  10, 

ii. 

217 

xix.  37, 

ii. 

217 

iv.  6,  12, 

ii. 

317 

xix.  38, 

ii. 

264 

iv.  6,  12, 

iv. 

353 

xix.  41-43, 

iii. 

242 

iv.  11, 

ii. 

144 

xix.  42, 

iv. 

235 

iv.  11, 

iv. 

338 

xix.  43, 

iii. 

243 

V. 

iv. 

351 

xix.  45, 

iii. 

250 

v.  8, 

iii. 

279 

xix.  46, 

iv. 

254 

v.  12, 

iv. 

230 

xix.  47, 

iii. 

183 

v.  17, 

iii. 

188 

xix.  50, 

iii. 

325 

v.  21, 

iv. 

347 

xix.  51, 

iii. 

182 

v.  23, 

ii. 

316 

xx.  7, 

ii. 

217,  255 

vi.  3, 

ii. 

147 

xx.  7, 

iii. 

191,  302 

vi.  33, 

iv. 

344 

xx.  7, 

iv. 

308,  344 

vii.  24, 

iii. 

424 

xx.  8, 

ii. 

196 

vii.  25, 

iii. 

121 

xxi.  2, 

iii. 

1S3 

viii.  5-17, 

ii. 

341 

xxi.  6, 

iii. 

284 

viii.  10,  21-27, 

i. 

387 

xxi.  11, 

iii. 

257,  302 

viii.  11, 

ii. 

152 

xxi.  14, 

iii.  107, 

284,  285 

viii.  33, 

ii. 

124 

xxi.  16, 

iii. 

242 

ix.  4, 

ii. 

124 

xxi.  24, 

iii. 

250 

ix.  46, 

ii. 

124 

xxi.  27, 

ii. 

196 

ix.  50-57, 

ii. 

341 

xxi.  32, 

ii. 

217,  255 

x.  6, 

ii. 

157 

xxi.  32, 

iv. 

334 

x.  8, 

ii. 

125 

xxi.  32,  33, 

iii. 

227 

x.  12, 

i. 

424 

xxiv.  17,  18, 

ii. 

125 

x.  12, 

ii. 

14S 

xxiv.  28,  29, 

iv. 

247 

x.  12, 

iii. 

190 

xxiv.  30, 

iii. 

325 

xi.  13, 

ii. 

125 

xxiv.  32, 

iv. 

309,  315 

xi.  18, 

ii. 

149 

xxiv.  33, 

iv. 

295 

xi.  22, 

ii. 

125 

i.  4,  5, 

ii. 

121 

xi.  33, 

ii. 

157 

i.  7, 

ii. 

117 

xii.  15, 

ii. 

144 

i.  16, 

i. 

34 

xiii.  1, 

iii. 

239 

i.  16, 

ii. 

144 

xiv.  3, 

iii. 

278 

i.  17, 

i. 

431 

xiv.  4, 

iii. 

225 

i.  18, 

iii.  210, 

243,  275 

xiv.  5, 

iii. 

239 

i.  19, 

ii. 

127 

xv.  18, 

iii. 

278 

i.  26, 

ii. 

123 

xvi.  1, 

iii. 

210 

i.  27, 

ii. 

327,  335 

xviii.  7, 

iii. 

186 

i.  27-33, 

iv. 

332 

xviii.  7,  28, 

ii. 

204 

i.  31, 

ii. 

283 

xviii.  17, 

ii. 

196 

i.  31, 

iii. 

183,  187 

xviii.  28, 

ii. 

207 

i.  31, 

iv. 

361 

xviii.  29, 

iii. 

183 

i.  32, 

iii. 

187 

xix.  13, 

iv. 

230 

i.  33, 

iii. 

189 

xx.  1, 

i. 

28 

i.  34,  36, 

ii. 

121,  126 

xx.  26, 

iv. 

26 

ii.  8,  9, 

iv. 

247 

xx.  45,  47, 

iv. 

219 

iii.  1-4, 

iii. 

226 

xxi. 

iv. 

219 

iii.  2, 

iii. 

276 

xxi.  12, 

ii. 

117 

iii.  3, 

ii. 

123 

xxi.  24, 

iv. 

298 

iii.  3, 

iii. 

210 

Ruth  ii.  3-18, 

iii. 

249 

iii.  5, 

ii. 

.121 

1  Sain.  ii.  3, 

iii. 

226 

iii.  12-30, 

ii. 

155 

iii.  20,  21, 

iv. 

298 

iii.  13, 

ii. 

143 

v.  4, 

iii. 

220 

406 


INDEX  OF  TEXTS. 


v.  6,  7,  vol 

iii. 

page 

226 

1  Sam. 

xxxi.  1-10,  vol 

ii. 

page 

329 

v.  8, 

iii. 

250 

xxxi.  10, 

ii. 

335 

vi.  17, 

iii. 

210, 

225 

2  Sam. 

i.  1, 

iii. 

248 

vi.  21, 

iii. 

234 

ii.  2,  8,  9, 

ii. 

324 

vii.  1, 

iii. 

234 

ii.  3, 

iii. 

248, 

264 

vii.  1,  2, 

iii. 

233 

ii.  29, 

iii. 

52 

vii.  5-7, 

iii. 

232 

iii.  32,  33, 

iii. 

296 

vii.  13, 

iii. 

279 

iv.  2, 

iv. 

228 

vii.  16, 

iii. 

46 

iv.  12, 

iii. 

295 

ix.  1-16, 

iii. 

235 

v.  6,  7, 

iii. 

265 

x.  2-7, 

iii. 

235 

v.  6-9, 

iv. 

63 

x.  10, 

iii. 

46 

v.  18-25, 

iv. 

27 

xii.  9, 

ii. 

218 

V;  19, 

iii. 

211 

xiii.  5, 

iii. 

279 

viii.  1, 

iii. 

211 

xiii.  15, 

iii. 

36 

viii.  2, 

ii. 

115 

xiii.  16-18, 

iv. 

221 

viii.  18, 

iii. 

265 

xiii.  17, 

iv. 

225 

x.  5, 

iii. 

2 

xiii.  19-22, 

iii. 

279 

x.  6, 

ii. 

207 

xiii.  23, 

iv. 

221 

x.  17, 

iii. 

52 

xiv.  ] ,  4,  5, 

iv. 

221 

xi.  3, 

ii. 

123 

xiv.  4, 

iv. 

25 

xv.  19, 

iii. 

265 

xiv.  6, 

iii. 

278 

xvi.  5-13, 

iv. 

213 

xiv.  31, 

iv. 

221 

xvii.  17, 

iv. 

147 

xv.  1-4, 

iii. 

241 

xvii.  22-24, 

iii. 

52 

xv.  2-7, 

ii. 

143, 

144 

xviii.  17,  18, 

iv. 

173 

xv.  6, 

ii. 

145 

xix.  1, 

iii. 

52 

xv.  7, 

ii. 

142 

xx.  14,  15, 

ii. 

213 

xv.  12, 

i. 

30 

xx.  19, 

ii. 

213 

xv.  13, 

iii. 

36 

xxi.  2, 

ii. 

125 

xvi.  11,  13, 

iii. 

339 

xxi.  14, 

ii. 

329 

xvii.  2,  19, 

iii. 

240 

xxi.  15, 

iii. 

211 

xvii.  4, 

ii. 

133 

xxi.  15-22, 

ii. 

133 

xvii.  4,  23, 

iii. 

250 

xxiii.  13, 

iii. 

97 

xvii.  26, 

iii. 

278 

xxiii.  15, 

iii. 

341 

xvii.  52, 

iii. 

251 

xxiii.  20, 

ii. 

155 

xix.  18-24, 

iii. 

46, 

231 

xxiii.  37, 

iv. 

228 

xxi.  1, 

iii. 

97 

xxiii.  39, 

ii. 

123 

xxi.  1, 

iv. 

218 

xxiv.  7, 

ii. 

123 

xxii.  5, 

iii. 

326 

xxiv.  7, 

iii. 

325 

xxii.  19, 

iv. 

218 

xxiv.  16-25, 

ii. 

129 

xxiii.  14,  25, 

iii. 

104 

xxiv.  16-25, 

iv. 

64 

XXV.  1, 

iii. 

231 

1  Kings  i.  9,  41, 

iv. 

146 

xxv.  2, 

i. 

30 

ii.  10, 

iv. 

56 

xxvii.  6, 

iii. 

247,  248 

iii.  4, 

iii. 

231 

xxvii.  7, 

iii. 

226 

iv.  9, 

iii. 

242 

xxvii.  8,  ii. 

105, 

118, 

143 

iv.  10, 

ii. 

345 

xxvii.  8, 

iii. 

268 

iv.  11, 

iv. 

270 

xxvii.  10, 

iii. 

325 

iv.  12,  ii. 

325, 

335, 

341 

xxviii.  3, 

iii. 

231 

iv.  12, 

iv. 

339 

xxviii.  7, 

ii. 

319 

iv.  13, 

ii. 

334 

xxix.  1, 

ii. 

325 

iv.  24, 

iii. 

175, 

211 

xxix.  1-11, 

ii. 

326 

v.  8, 

i. 

126 

xxix.  1-11, 

iii. 

184 

v.  11, 

i. 

120 

XXX.  1, 

iii. 

248 

V.  11, 

iii. 

188 

xxx.  1-22, 

ii. 

144 

v.  17,  18, 

ii. 

215 

xxx.  14, 

iii. 

264, 

325 

vii.  14, 

iii. 

190 

xxx.  26, 

iii. 

235 

ix.  11,  ii.  255 

256 

iii. 

190 

xxx.  28, 

i. 

35 

ix.  13,  iii 

.  188 

,  iv. 

334 

xxx.  29, 

ii. 

146 

ix.  14, 

i. 

91, 

137 

INDEX  OF  TEXTS. 

407 

1  Kings  ix.  15,  vo’ 

.  ii.  page  225 

2  Kings  xxiii.  6,  vol. 

iv. 

page  162 

ix.  20, 

ii.  123,  129 

xxiii.  8, 

iv. 

221 

ix.  26, 

i.  92 

1  Giron,  i.  43-54, 

ii. 

136 

ix.  26-28,  i. 

64,  81,  89,  90 

vi.  71, 

ii. 

196 

x.  2, 

i.  82,  145 

vi.  76, 

ii. 

255 

x.  11, 

i.  82,  124 

vii.  21, 

iii. 

268 

x.  12, 

i.  125 

ix.  12, 

iv. 

240 

x.  14, 

i.  90 

xi.  5-8, 

iv. 

63 

x.  18, 

i.  143 

xii.  15, 

iii. 

51 

x.  22, 

i.  82,  143 

xviii.  12, 

ii. 

138 

xi.  7, 

iv.  24 

xxi.  18, 

iv. 

64 

xi.  14-22, 

ii.  138 

xxiii.  2,  14, 

i. 

81 

xii. 

iii.  185 

xxvi.  4, 

ii. 

143 

xii.  14,  15, 

iv.  309 

xxviii.  29, 

iv. 

265 

xii.  29, 

ii.  205 

2  Giron,  ii.  3, 

i. 

126 

xiii.  32, 

ii.  349 

ii.  8, 

i. 

125 

xv.  20,  ii. 

209,  213,  235 

ii.  10, 

iii. 

294 

xv.  22, 

iii.  232 

ii.  10,  15, 

i. 

120 

xv.  29, 

ii.  225 

ii.  15, 

iii. 

188 

xvi.  24, 

ii.  349 

ii.  16, 

i. 

126 

xvi.  32,  33, 

iv.  352 

iii.  6, 

i. 

79 

xvi.  34, 

iii.  2 

viii.  5, 

iv. 

242 

xvii.  3,  5, 

iii.  8 

viii.  18, 

i. 

81,  89,  90 

xviii.  19-46, 

iv.  352 

ix.  10, 

i. 

125 

xix.  2,  13, 

i.  4 

xi.  5,  6, 

iii. 

99,  336 

xix.  8, 

iv.  353 

xi.  8, 

iii. 

104,  251 

xx.  49, 

i.  12 

xi.  9, 

iii. 

259 

xxii.  14, 

i.  91 

xiii.  4,  19, 

ii. 

349 

xxii.  48, 

i.  87 

xiii.  19, 

iv. 

225 

xxii.  49, 

i.  87,  89 

xiii.  21, 

i. 

83 

xxii.  51, 

iv.  175 

xvi.  4, 

ii. 

209,  213 

xxxii.  49, 

i.  64 

xx.  16, 

iii. 

109 

2  Kings  i.  2, 

iii.  280 

xx.  22, 

ii. 

125 

i.  16, 

iii.  244 

xx.  36,  37, 

i. 

64,  87 

ii.  19-22, 

iii.  34 

xxiv.  16, 

iv. 

56 

iii.  9, 

ii.  139 

xxiv.  21, 

iv. 

173 

iv.  8-37, 

iv.  347 

xxv.  11,  14, 

ii. 

138,  143 

iv.  38, 

iii.  46 

xxvi.  6, 

iii. 

251 

v.  12, 

iii.  52 

xxvii.  3, 

iv. 

48 

vi.  2-5, 

iii.  52 

xxvii.  7, 

ii. 

148 

vi.  13, 

ii.  331 

xxviii.  18, 

iv. 

235,  241 

viii.  20-22, 

i.  137 

xxviii.  27, 

iv. 

56 

viii.  20-22, 

ii.  139 

xxxi.  14, 

iv. 

34 

ix.  21, 

ii.  327 

xxxii.  2-6, 

iv. 

90 

x.  15, 

ii.  327 

xxxii.  3,  30, 

iii. 

334 

x.  15,  33, 

ii.  146 

xxxii.  4, 

iv. 

95 

xiv.  7, 

i.  419 

xxxii.  30, 

iv. 

70,  73,  90 

xiv.  7,  ii. 

138,  139,  143 

xxxv.  20-25, 

iv. 

330 

xiv.  22, 

i.  72,  138 

xxxv.  22, 

ii. 

23 

xiv.  25, 

iv.  336 

Ezra 

ii.  22, 

iii. 

239 

xv.  29,  ii. 

219,  223,  225, 

ii.  26, 

iv. 

230 

236,  255 

ii.  28, 

iv. 

223 

xv.  29, 

iv.  339 

iii.  7, 

iv. 

254 

xv.  35, 

iv.  48 

iv.  2,  4,  10, 

iv. 

289 

xvi.  6, 

i.  138,  317 

iv.  10, 

iv. 

287,  309 

xvi.  12, 

iv.  90 

vi.  2, 

iii. 

258 

xvii.  27-41, 

iv.  288 

ix.  1, 

ii. 

129,  156 

xx.  20, 

iii.  334 

x.  18-44, 

ii. 

117 

xx.  20, 

iv.  70,  74,  90 

Nell. 

ii.  13, 

iv. 

71,  145 

408 


i 


INDEX  OF  TEXTS. 


Neh.  ii.  14, 

vol.  iv. 

page  152 

Isa.  v.  24, 

vol.  ii. 

page  252 

ii.  19, 

iv. 

287 

vii.  3, 

iv. 

30 

iii.  13,  14, 

iv.  49 

,  53,  171 

viii.  6,  7, 

iv. 

148 

iii.  15,  iv.  52,  58, 

148,  152 

ix.  1, 

ii. 

230 

iii.  15-28, 

iv, 

47 

ix.  1,  2, 

ii. 

255,  261 

iii.  16, 

iv. 

75 

ix.  1,  2, 

iv. 

342 

iii.  29, 

iv. 

34 

x.  26, 

iii. 

121 

iii.  30-32, 

iv. 

29 

x.  31, 

iv. 

295 

iii.  34, 

iv. 

287,  309 

xiii.  12, 

i. 

81 

iv.  2, 

iv. 

287 

xv._7, 

iii. 

78 

iv.  7-18, 

iii. 

226 

xvii.  1,  10, 

i. 

419 

vii.  26, 

iii. 

239 

xvii.  5, 

iv. 

28 

vii.  28, 

iv. 

218 

XX.  1, 

iii. 

226 

vii.  30, 

iv. 

230 

xxi.  13,  14, 

i. 

37 

xi.  31, 

iv. 

223 

xxii.  9, 

iv. 

71,  74 

xi.  35, 

iv. 

240 

xxii.  9-11, 

iv. 

70,  73,  91 

xiii.  1, 

ii. 

156 

xxii.  11, 

iv. 

95 

xiii.  24, 

iii. 

226 

xxii.  15-17, 

iv. 

162 

Job  xvi.  15, 

ii. 

188 

xxiii.  6,  10, 

i. 

.  89 

xxii.  24, 

i. 

79 

xxvii.  12, 

i. 

41 

xxiv.  5-9, 

ii. 

134 

xxviii.  27, 

iii. 

27 

xxviii.  10, 

i. 

81 

xxxii.  14, 

iv. 

48 

xxx.  4, 

i. 

345 

xxxiii.  19, 

iv. 

352 

xxxix.  9-12, 

ii. 

210 

xxxv.  2, 

iv. 

352 

Ps.  i.  3, 

ii. 

247 

xxxvi.  2, 

iv. 

91 

xxix.  8, 

i. 

425 

xliii.  3-5, 

iv. 

170 

xiii.  6, 

ii. 

164,  319 

xliii.  14, 

i. 

110,  138 

xlv.  10, 

i. 

81 

xlviii.  17, 

iv. 

70 

xlviii.  11-15, 

iv. 

5S 

liii.  5,  11, 

iv. 

170 

lxvi.  6, 

ii. 

341 

lxiii.  1, 

i. 

37 

Ixviii.  16, 

iv. 

353 

lxiii.  6,  10, 

i. 

89 

lxx.  15, 

i. 

82 

Jer.  i.  1, 

iv. 

217 

lxxii.  15, 

i. 

97 

ii.  13, 

iv. 

142 

Ixxvii.  19,  20, 

i. 

369 

ii.  21, 

iii. 

297 

Ixxvii.  68,  69, 

iv. 

20 

iv.  5,  6, 

ii. 

335 

lxxxiii.  5-9, 

i. 

403 

vi.  1, 

iii. 

96 

lxxxiii.  9,  10, 

ii. 

319 

vii.  12,  14, 

iv. 

298 

lxxxiii.  12, 

iii. 

121 

x.  9, 

i. 

79 

lxxxix.  12, 

ii.  312, 

313,  319 

x.  28-33, 

iv. 

217 

civ.  15, 

iii. 

297 

xii.  5, 

iii. 

52 

civ.  18, 

iii. 

79 

xix.  1,  2,  11, 

iv. 

165 

cxii.  9, 

ii. 

188 

xix.  2,  8, 

iv. 

71 

cxx.  4, 

i. 

345 

xxv.  23, 

i. 

37 

cxxii.  3, 

iv. 

20 

xxvi.  18, 

iv. 

58 

cxxv.  2, 

iv. 

18 

xxvii.  3, 

ii. 

139 

cxxxii.  17, 

ii. 

188 

xxxi.  38-40, 

iv. 

135 

cxxxiii.  3, 

ii. 

165 

xxxii.  8, 

iv. 

217 

cxxxvii.  7-9, 

ii. 

139 

xxxv.  6,  7, 

ii. 

'  146 

cxlviii.  14, 

ii. 

188 

xxxvii.  36, 

iv. 

217 

Prov.  xxx.  24-29, 

iii. 

79 

xli.  5, 

iv. 

309 

Eccles.  ii.  5,  6, 

iii. 

337 

xlvi.  18, 

ii. 

317 

Song  of  Sol.  i.  10, 

iv. 

328 

xlvii.  1, 

iii. 

210 

i.  12, 

1. 

121 

xlvii.  4, 

iii. 

263,  281 

i.  14, 

iii. 

25 

xlvii.  5, 

iii. 

211 

ii.  11, 

13,  iii. 

338 

xlviii.  1, 

iii. 

73 

iv.  3, 

iii. 

25 

xlviii.  24,  41, 

iii. 

74 

iv.  12, 

iii. 

334 

xlix.  7,  8, 

i, 

36,  37 

vii.  5, 

iv. 

352 

xlix.  13,  22, 

i. 

26,  37 

vii.  9, 

iii. 

297 

xlix.  19, 

iii. 

52 

INDEX  OF  TEXTS. 


409 


v.  21,  vol. 

ii.  page  1.34 

Matt.  xiv.  34,  vol. 

ii. 

page  235 

xxv.  8-14, 

ii. 

139,  156 

xv.  29,  39, 

ii. 

263 

xxv.  13, 

i. 

36,  37 

xix.  1, 

iv. 

225 

xxv.  16, 

iii. 

264 

xx.  29, 

iii. 

32 

xxvii.  6, 

ii. 

123 

xxi.  8, 

iv. 

33 

xxvii.  9, 

ii. 

215 

xxiii.  27, 

iii. 

245 

xxvii.  12, 

i. 

82 

xxiii.  29, 

iv. 

177 

xxvii.  15,  i.  118, 

122, 

135,  146 

xxiv.  1,  2, 

iv. 

112 

xxvii.  17, 

i. 

120 

xxvi.  3,  4, 

iv. 

28 

xxvii.  22, 

i. 

97,  135 

xxvi.  36, 

iv. 

170 

xxxviii.  13, 

i. 

89 

xxvi.  69, 

ii. 

255 

xlvii. 

iii. 

175 

xxvii.  7,  8, 

iv. 

165 

xlvii.  1-12, 

iv. 

96 

xxvii.  25, 

iii. 

117 

xlvii.  19, 

i. 

35 

xxvii.  32, 

iv. 

127 

xlviii.  28, 

i. 

35 

xxvii.  57, 

iv. 

261 

ix.  13, 

iv. 

321 

xxviii.  2, 

iv. 

167 

x.  14, 

ii. 

266 

Mark  i.  4, 

iii. 

42 

i.  12, 

iii. 

82 

ii.  14, 

ii. 

230 

i.  2, 

iv. 

352 

v.  1, 

ii. 

302 

i.  12, 

i. 

26,  37 

vi.  45,  53, 

ii. 

270 

ii.  2, 

iii. 

74 

vi.  33, 

ii. 

276 

iii.  15* 

i. 

143 

vi.  53, 

ii. 

235 

v.  4, 

iv. 

227 

viii.  10, 

ii. 

263 

vi.  14, 

iii. 

78 

viii.  22, 

ii. 

234 

ix.  3, 

iv. 

354 

ix.  2, 

ii. 

312 

ix.  7, 

iii. 

263 

x.  1, 

iv. 

225 

3, 

ii. 

133 

xiii.  1,  2, 

iv. 

112 

3,  4, 

i. 

442 

xiv.  32, 

iv. 

170 

i.  6, 

iv. 

324 

xv.  40, 

ii. 

263 

iii.  12, 

iv. 

58 

Luke  ii.  4,  11, 

iii. 

339 

iv.  4, 

ii. 

188 

ii.  7, 

iii. 

346 

vii.  14, 

iv. 

353 

ii.  22, 

iv. 

152 

ii.  5, 

iii. 

264 

iii.  1, 

ii. 

233 

ix.  2-6, 

iii. 

281 

v.  27, 

ii. 

230 

ix.  9,  10, 

ii. 

328 

Vj;  L 

iii. 

104 

ix.  9,  10, 

iii. 

197 

viii.  2, 

ii. 

263 

xii.  11, 

iv. 

350 

viii.  26, 

ii. 

302 

xiv.  8, 

iv. 

96 

viii.  27, 

ii. 

307 

xiv.  16-18, 

iv. 

2 

ix.  10, 

ii. 

234,  276 

ii.  11, 

iii. 

346 

x.  13, 

ii. 

270 

iii.  1, 

iii. 

42 

xi.  47, 

iv. 

176 

iii.  11, 

iii. 

41 

xiii.  4, 

iv. 

149 

iii.  12-14, 

ii. 

261 

xvii.  18, 

iv. 

289 

iii.  15, 

ii. 

256 

xix.  1,  28, 

iii. 

32 

iv.  8, 

iii. 

8 

xix.  1,  29, 

iii. 

5 

iv.  13,  ii. 

229, 

264,  275 

xix.  4, 

iii. 

23 

iv.  15,  16, 

iv. 

342 

xxi.  37, 

iv. 

170 

iv.  18, 

ii. 

236 

xxii.  39, 

iv. 

170 

iv.  25, 

ii. 

335 

xxiii.  6, 

ii. 

255 

v.  14, 

ii. 

220 

xxiii.  33, 

iv. 

134 

viii.  23, 

ii. 

251 

xxiv.  13-35, 

iv. 

236 

viii.  28, 

ii. 

127,  302 

John  i.  44, 

ii. 

270 

ix.  9, 

ii. 

230 

i.  46, 

ii. 

256 

xi.  21, 

ii. 

270 

i.  47,  l 

iv. 

380 

xi.  21-23, 

ii. 

274 

ii.  11, 

iv. 

380 

xii.  1-6, 

iii. 

104 

iii.  23, 

ii. 

345 

xiii.  25, 

ii. 

192 

iv.  5, 

iv. 

318 

xiv.  1-22, 

ii. 

258 

iv.  12, 

iv. 

288 

xiv.  13, 

ii. 

276 

iv.  20, 

iv. 

290 

410 

INDEX  OF  TEXTS. 

John  iv.  25,  vol. 

iv. 

page  307 

Acts  ii.  7, 

vol.  ii. 

page  254 

iv.  39, 

iv. 

309 

ii.  29, 

iv. 

57 

iv.  48, 

iv. 

380 

vii.  58, 

iv. 

.  32 

v.  2-7, 

iv. 

156 

viii.  5-25, 

iv. 

310,  326 

v.  2-9, 

iv. 

144 

viii.  20, 

iv. 

272 

vi.  3, 

ii. 

276 

viii.  26, 

iii. 

211 

vi.  17-24, 

ii. 

276 

viii.  26,  28, 

iii. 

329 

vi.  18, 

ii. 

251 

ix.  1, 

iv. 

272 

vii.  52, 

ii. 

256 

ix.  10,  11, 

iv. 

257 

ix.  7, 

iv. 

148 

ix.  30, 

iv. 

272 

xi.  31,  38, 

iv. 

214 

ix.  31, 

iii. 

192 

xi.  47, 

iv. 

28 

xi.  1, 

iv. 

272 

xi.  54, 

iv. 

225 

xii.  19-24, 

iv. 

272 

xii.  13, 

iv. 

33 

xviii.  22, 

iv. 

272 

xii.  21, 

ii. 

233,  270 

xxi.  8, 

iv. 

272 

XV.  1, 

iii. 

297 

xxi.  34-37, 

iv. 

110 

xix.  17,  20,  41,  42, 

iv. 

127 

xxiii.  23-35, 

iv. 

243 

xix.  38, 

iv. 

261 

Heb.  xi.  38, 

iii. 

7 

xxi.  2, 

iv. 

380 

xiii.  12, 

iv. 

127 

Acts  i.  11, 

ii. 

254 

Jas.  ii.  23, 

iii. 

294 

i.  19, 

iv. 

165 

2  Pet.  i.  18, 

ii. 

313 

ii.  5, 

iv. 

2 

END  OF  VOL.  IV. 


HURRAY  AND  GIBB,  PRINTERS,  EDINBURGH. 


